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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. season — of the year
  3. dip — to sink
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. board — a committee
  6. drill — a practice
  7. field — for sport
  8. drill — the tool
  9. tube — a container
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. field — a subject
  12. saw — the tool
  13. season — in sport
  14. board — to get on
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. field — farmland
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. tube — the underground
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. drill — army training
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. saw — the tool

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