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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. ground — a position
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. deal — to handle
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. ball — a great time
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. drill — army training
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — money
  23. ground — the earth
  24. drill — the tool

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