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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. drill — army training
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pop — music
  5. field — for sport
  6. drill — the tool
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. board — a committee
  9. drill — a practice
  10. net — after costs
  11. board — to get on
  12. deal — to handle
  13. saw — the tool
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. field — a subject
  16. net — for catching
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pop — to visit
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. net — in sport
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. field — farmland

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