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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: mark · racket · nail · ground · charge · board · sharp · drill

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. ground — crushed
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. drill — the tool
  5. ground — a position
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. drill — army training
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. charge — electricity
  12. drill — a practice
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. charge — in control
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ground — the earth
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. board — a committee

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