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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 120 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: tube · board · drill · field · deal · wound · ruler · can

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — a subject
  10. tube — the underground
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wound — an injury
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. board — to get on
  15. drill — army training
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. drill — a practice
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. tube — a container
  22. drill — the tool
  23. board — a committee
  24. can — to be able to

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