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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 116 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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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. pop — to visit
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. court — for sport
  7. chip — to eat
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. court — of law
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rock — a stone
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. court — of a king
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chip — for betting
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. hand — help
  20. drill — a practice
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. drill — the tool
  24. ground — a position

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