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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 124 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. face — part of the head
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. field — a subject
  5. face — to point toward
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. face — to confront
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. chip — for betting
  12. board — to get on
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. field — for sport
  17. toast — bread
  18. drill — a practice
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. drill — the tool
  21. board — a committee
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. field — farmland
  24. nail — for a hammer

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