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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a city
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. firm — decided
  7. drill — the tool
  8. ground — the earth
  9. drill — a practice
  10. tube — a container
  11. ground — a position
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. row — to paddle
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. tube — the underground
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. firm — a company
  18. ground — crushed
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. firm — steady
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. row — a line

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