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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: board · track · tear · fine · pound · pit · drill · stick

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. drill — army training
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. drill — a practice
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. fine — all right
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fine — high quality
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pit — a hole
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. track — a path
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pound — a weight
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. drill — the tool

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