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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. drill — army training
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. can — a tin
  6. ball — a great time
  7. date — the fruit
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ground — a position
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. can — a tin
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. drill — a practice
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pass — a permit
  23. chest — a box
  24. drill — the tool

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