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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. drill — army training
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. can — to be able to
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bore — to drill
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bore — to tire
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. drill — the tool
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. drill — a practice
  16. ground — the earth
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. dip — to sink
  20. ground — crushed
  21. can — a tin
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ground — a position
  24. can — a tin

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