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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 120 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. drill — army training
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. drill — a practice
  5. ground — crushed
  6. drill — the tool
  7. swing — music
  8. ground — a position
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pitch — completely
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. swing — in golf
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. march — the month
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cabinet — ministers

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