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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. current — electric
  5. current — happening now
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. mug — to rob
  8. current — of water
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — a face
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bank — for money
  14. spring — the season
  15. game — a match
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bank — for money
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — a coil
  20. board — to get on
  21. game — wild animals
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. board — a committee
  24. bank — of a river

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