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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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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: foot · club · bowl · field · race · drill · bulb · nail

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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 — a practice
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. drill — the tool
  4. race — a contest
  5. bulb — for light
  6. foot — a measure
  7. club — for dancing
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. drill — army training
  15. race — the arms race
  16. club — for golf
  17. field — for sport
  18. race — humankind
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. field — farmland
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. club — a group
  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