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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
468
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: field · calf · hide · mine · board · drill · racket · chair

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  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. drill — a practice
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. field — for sport
  7. drill — the tool
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. board — a committee
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. drill — army training
  14. mine — for digging
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. board — to get on
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chair — a leader
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. field — farmland
  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