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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. board — to get on
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. drill — the tool
  6. hand — in cards
  7. board — a committee
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. drill — a practice
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. hand — help
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitch — completely
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. branch — a division
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. racket — for tennis

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