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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: roll · drill · bulb · racket · field · wind · deal · plane

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. wind — moving air
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. field — a subject
  9. roll — a cake
  10. drill — a practice
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. wind — moving air
  14. deal — to handle
  15. roll — a list
  16. bulb — for light
  17. plane — a tool
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. drill — army training
  24. wind — to turn a key

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