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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. drill — army training
  4. cap — a hat
  5. drill — a practice
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. roll — a cake
  8. tube — the underground
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. cap — of ice
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. board — a committee
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. cap — a lid
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. roll — a list
  17. fork — in a road
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. drill — the tool
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. board — to get on
  24. tube — a container

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