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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. last — final
  3. drill — army training
  4. last — finally
  5. firm — steady
  6. last — to go on
  7. ground — the earth
  8. tube — the underground
  9. chip — to eat
  10. firm — decided
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. firm — a company
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a list
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. drill — the tool
  18. roll — a cake
  19. ground — a position
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. drill — a practice
  23. tube — a container
  24. bowl — a dish

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