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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: board · drill · object · wind · mark · field · safe · pit

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. drill — a practice
  3. pit — in a race
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. board — to get on
  7. pit — a hole
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — an aim
  10. board — a committee
  11. mark — a trace
  12. object — a thing
  13. mark — a grade
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wind — moving air
  22. field — farmland
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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