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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: drill · mate · club · track · fan · kick · field · wave

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. track — a path
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. club — for golf
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mate — a friend
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. track — a song
  14. kick — in football
  15. mate — to breed
  16. field — for sport
  17. track — to keep track
  18. club — for dancing
  19. mate — a partner
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. club — a group
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — a subject

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