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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 will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. march — the month
  3. bass — low music
  4. chip — for betting
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. march — the month
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. drill — the tool
  9. board — to get on
  10. root — of a word
  11. board — a committee
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bass — the fish
  14. chip — to eat
  15. root — the cause
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. roll — a list
  18. fork — in a road
  19. root — of a plant
  20. roll — a cake
  21. drill — a practice
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. march — music

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