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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. field — a subject
  4. drill — a practice
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. mark — a trace
  7. root — of a plant
  8. swing — to play on
  9. root — of a word
  10. swing — in golf
  11. rush — hurry
  12. field — for sport
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. root — the cause
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mark — a grade
  21. field — farmland
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. swing — music
  24. craft — boats

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