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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 124 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — a practice
  3. board — to get on
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. board — a committee
  8. lean — to bend
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. scale — in music
  12. race — a contest
  13. foot — a measure
  14. charge — electricity
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. net — after costs
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. race — humankind
  19. charge — a price
  20. lean — thin
  21. race — the arms race
  22. drill — the tool
  23. charge — in control
  24. scale — size or range

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