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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. last — to go on
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pop — music
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. drill — the tool
  12. last — final
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pop — soda
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — a safe
  23. last — finally
  24. root — of a plant

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