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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. capital — a city
  3. drill — the tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. drill — army training
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bore — to drill
  8. ground — a position
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. present — a gift
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. capital — money
  16. drill — a practice
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bore — to tire
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. ground — crushed
  22. vault — a safe
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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