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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. field — for sport
  6. spring — the season
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. board — to get on
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. field — farmland
  11. spring — a coil
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. chip — for betting
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. board — a committee
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. field — a subject
  18. snap — to click
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. drill — army training
  22. spring — of water
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. board — a flat piece

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