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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: deal · chair · can · prune · foot · board · sharp · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. prune — to trim
  10. sharp — clever
  11. board — to get on
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. board — a committee
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. prune — to trim
  17. drill — the tool
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. can — to be able to
  20. foot — a measure
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. drill — army training
  24. deal — to handle

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