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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — the tool
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — a line
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. drill — army training
  9. ground — the earth
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. ground — a position
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — an amount
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. degree — temperature
  18. ground — crushed
  19. saw — the tool
  20. row — to paddle
  21. board — a committee
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. leaves — to go away
  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