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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 · rest · field · chair · bear · pitcher · board · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rest — a break
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rest — what's left
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. fork — in a road
  8. field — for sport
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. drill — army training
  14. field — farmland
  15. bear — the animal
  16. board — a committee
  17. drill — the tool
  18. chair — a leader
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bear — the animal
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. field — a subject

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