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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. roll — a list
  5. net — for catching
  6. mark — a trace
  7. drill — the tool
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. drill — a practice
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. drill — army training
  14. tube — a container
  15. ground — a position
  16. net — in sport
  17. tube — the underground
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. net — after costs
  20. roll — a cake
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. wake — a trail

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