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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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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: field · arm · bound · wind · row · drill · pit · bowl

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — the tool
  4. field — for sport
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. row — a line
  10. field — farmland
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pit — in a race
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. wind — moving air
  16. field — a subject
  17. bound — certain
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. row — to paddle
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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