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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — the tool
  3. chair — a leader
  4. ground — a position
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. stock — shares
  7. ground — the earth
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. drill — a practice
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. roll — a cake
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. ground — crushed
  24. chair — a professorship

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