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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. ground — a position
  3. land — a country
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. ground — the earth
  6. snap — to click
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. land — to come down
  9. drill — a practice
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bound — obliged
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bound — tied together
  18. foot — a measure
  19. land — ground
  20. bound — certain
  21. ground — crushed
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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