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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. row — a line
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ground — crushed
  6. drill — army training
  7. row — to paddle
  8. drill — the tool
  9. scale — in music
  10. ground — a position
  11. roll — a list
  12. ground — the earth
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. drill — a practice
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. roll — a cake
  18. scale — size or range

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