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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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. ground — a position
  4. tube — a container
  5. cue — a hint
  6. pitch — completely
  7. cue — a signal
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. cue — for pool
  10. hand — in cards
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. foot — a measure
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. ground — the earth
  24. hand — part of the body

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