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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. last — finally
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. roll — a cake
  10. board — a committee
  11. drill — army training
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bulb — for light
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. board — to get on
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. foot — a measure
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — final
  24. fork — in a road

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