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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 120 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fine — high quality
  8. ground — the earth
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. ground — crushed
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bat — the animal
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. fine — all right
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. stand — to bear
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stand — for spectators

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