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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 116 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. fine — all right
  3. press — a publisher
  4. ground — crushed
  5. press — newspapers
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — a video
  8. spell — letters
  9. drill — the tool
  10. spell — magic
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. club — for golf
  13. fine — high quality
  14. club — a group
  15. drill — a practice
  16. press — to push
  17. ground — a position
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. spell — a short time
  20. ground — the earth
  21. clip — to cut
  22. craft — boats
  23. club — for dancing
  24. craft — a skill

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