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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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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. drill — a practice
  3. track — to keep track
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. track — a path
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. drill — army training
  8. track — a song
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. stand — to bear
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. ground — the earth
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. drill — the tool
  16. ground — crushed
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. court — of law
  19. vault — a safe
  20. saw — the tool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. court — for sport
  23. ground — a position
  24. court — of a king

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