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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: drill · bowl · foot · ruler · board · spell

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. foot — a measure
  4. drill — army training
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. spell — letters
  7. board — a committee
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. drill — a practice
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. spell — a short time
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. drill — the tool
  15. board — to get on
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. spell — magic
  18. bowl — a football final

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