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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. ground — the earth
  3. last — finally
  4. drill — the tool
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. ground — a position
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. last — final
  14. drill — army training
  15. sharp — clever
  16. last — to go on
  17. pound — a weight
  18. rash — hasty
  19. board — to get on
  20. drill — a practice
  21. ground — crushed
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — a committee

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