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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: board · toast · fine · spell · present · drill · root · field

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. fine — all right
  3. present — a gift
  4. field — a subject
  5. board — a committee
  6. fine — high quality
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. spell — a short time
  9. toast — bread
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. spell — letters
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — the tool
  14. field — farmland
  15. root — of a word
  16. field — for sport
  17. root — the cause
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. spell — magic
  22. root — of a plant
  23. drill — a practice
  24. fine — a penalty

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