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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. ground — crushed
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pit — in a race
  6. drill — army training
  7. current — happening now
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bear — the animal
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ground — a position
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. content — happy
  16. content — the amount
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. current — electric
  21. current — of water
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pit — a hole

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