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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. saw — the tool
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. last — final
  5. field — a subject
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. field — for sport
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. firm — decided
  10. drill — the tool
  11. firm — a company
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rest — a break
  15. last — to go on
  16. field — farmland
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to sink
  19. rest — what's left
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. drill — a practice
  22. firm — steady
  23. last — finally
  24. rest — what's left

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