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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. squash — the sport
  3. track — a path
  4. swing — music
  5. drill — a practice
  6. row — a line
  7. ground — crushed
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. drill — the tool
  10. track — a song
  11. swing — to play on
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. root — of a plant
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. row — to paddle
  16. ground — a position
  17. swing — in golf
  18. root — the cause
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. squash — to crush
  22. track — to keep track
  23. root — of a word
  24. drill — army training

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