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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 120 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — the tool
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. field — farmland
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. drill — a practice
  9. field — for sport
  10. game — wild animals
  11. last — finally
  12. field — a subject
  13. last — final
  14. bound — certain
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bound — obliged
  20. ball — a great time
  21. last — to go on
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bound — tied together
  24. game — a match

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