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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: drill · field · track · chip · stand · wave · game · prune

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. field — a subject
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. prune — to trim
  5. track — a song
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. field — for sport
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. stand — to bear
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. field — farmland
  15. track — to keep track
  16. game — wild animals
  17. track — a path
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. game — a match
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. drill — the tool
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. prune — to trim
  24. chip — for betting

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