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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. ground — a position
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bound — certain
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. object — to protest
  14. can — a tin
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. drill — army training
  17. bound — tied together
  18. drill — a practice
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — a thing
  21. bound — obliged
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  24. nail — for a hammer

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