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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. field — for sport
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. current — happening now
  5. bark — to shout
  6. rule — a law
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. present — there
  9. field — farmland
  10. drill — a practice
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. field — a subject
  16. stand — to bear
  17. prune — to trim
  18. current — of water
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — the time now
  21. prune — to trim
  22. current — electric
  23. drill — the tool
  24. rule — government

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com