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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. charge — electricity
  5. board — to get on
  6. cold — an illness
  7. field — a subject
  8. charge — in control
  9. drill — the tool
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. field — farmland
  15. cold — not warm
  16. drill — army training
  17. field — for sport
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. board — a committee
  21. prune — to trim
  22. charge — a price
  23. pound — a weight
  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