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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pop — soda
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pass — a permit
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bat — the animal
  8. pop — music
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pop — to visit
  11. court — of a king
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. drill — a practice
  15. court — of law
  16. ground — crushed
  17. court — for sport
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. ground — a position
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. drill — army training

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