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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. ground — crushed
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. ground — a position
  5. last — finally
  6. drill — army training
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bass — low music
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rash — a series
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rash — hasty
  16. drill — the tool
  17. fine — all right
  18. bore — to drill
  19. last — to go on
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bore — to tire
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bass — the instrument

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