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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: lash · field · ball · file · drill · calf · bulb · board

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — farmland
  3. file — a document
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ball — a dance
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. file — a tool
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. drill — the tool
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. field — a subject
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. drill — army training
  15. ball — a great time
  16. file — a line of people
  17. board — a committee
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. board — to get on

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