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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.

Make a worksheet

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

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. field — a subject
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. field — farmland
  7. tube — a container
  8. mark — a grade
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. field — for sport
  11. drill — army training
  12. tube — the underground
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. season — in sport
  19. mark — a trace
  20. drill — a practice
  21. season — of the year
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. chair — a leader
  24. season — to add flavour

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