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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 · ground · fork · bowl · board · fan · tear · safe

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ground — the earth
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. board — to get on
  9. tear — to rip
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. board — a committee
  15. drill — the tool
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. drill — army training

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