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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. drill — army training
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. drill — a practice
  6. object — a thing
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — the earth
  10. file — a document
  11. bass — low music
  12. bear — the animal
  13. ball — a dance
  14. object — to protest
  15. ground — a position
  16. file — a tool
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. foot — a measure
  20. file — a line of people
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. object — an aim
  24. bass — the fish

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