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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 116 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. board — a committee
  4. field — a subject
  5. board — to get on
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. wake — a trail
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — for sport
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rock — a stone
  17. drill — army training
  18. rock — music
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. drill — a practice
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bound — certain
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bound — obliged

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