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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. drill — the tool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. drill — army training
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. tear — to rip
  9. field — for sport
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. drill — a practice
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. mug — a face
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — a subject
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. tear — from crying
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fork — in a road

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