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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. land — ground
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. land — to come down
  7. net — for catching
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. board — to get on
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. net — after costs
  14. land — a country
  15. fine — high quality
  16. drill — a practice
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. net — in sport
  24. sharp — clever

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