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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 116 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. charge — electricity
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. land — a country
  9. land — to come down
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. file — a line of people
  13. charge — a price
  14. file — a document
  15. mark — a trace
  16. charge — in control
  17. land — ground
  18. plane — a tool
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. file — a tool
  22. court — of law
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. mark — a grade

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