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

Word bank: fork · charge · drill · race · pass · prune · ball · field

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. drill — a practice
  6. race — a contest
  7. field — farmland
  8. charge — a price
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. fork — in a road
  12. field — a subject
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. race — humankind
  16. pass — a permit
  17. race — the arms race
  18. drill — army training
  19. ball — a dance
  20. prune — to trim
  21. drill — the tool
  22. charge — in control
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. charge — electricity

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