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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. fork — in a road
  9. land — a country
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. land — ground
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fall — the season
  15. can — a tin
  16. shower — rain
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. can — to be able to
  20. land — to come down
  21. chip — for betting
  22. shower — to wash
  23. can — a tin
  24. fork — to eat with

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