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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. board — to get on
  5. file — a document
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. file — a tool
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. board — a committee
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. drill — the tool
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. file — a line of people
  16. mine — for digging
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mine — an explosive

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