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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · march · drill · track · rest · board · perch · ground

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rest — what's left
  3. board — a committee
  4. rest — a break
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. track — to keep track
  8. fine — high quality
  9. ground — a position
  10. drill — army training
  11. march — music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. drill — the tool
  14. track — a song
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. drill — a practice
  17. ground — the earth
  18. track — a path
  19. board — to get on
  20. ground — crushed
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. perch — the fish
  24. rest — what's left

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