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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. drill — army training
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. staff — employees
  6. ground — crushed
  7. staff — employees
  8. drill — a practice
  9. tear — from crying
  10. drill — the tool
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. tear — from crying
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. capital — a city
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. tear — to rip
  22. ground — a position
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. capital — money

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