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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: pit · roll · ball · drill · bowl · perch · fork · field

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. field — for sport
  4. drill — army training
  5. field — farmland
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. drill — a practice
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. field — a subject
  20. ball — a great time
  21. roll — a cake
  22. fork — in a road
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pit — in a race

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