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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: club · net · row · drill · cap · board · nail · foot

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. foot — a measure
  5. cap — of ice
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. cap — a hat
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. club — a group
  13. row — to paddle
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. drill — the tool
  16. row — a line
  17. club — for dancing
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. board — a committee
  20. club — for golf
  21. net — after costs
  22. board — to get on
  23. cap — a lid
  24. drill — army training

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