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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. charge — a price
  5. drill — the tool
  6. plane — a tool
  7. ground — the earth
  8. rush — hurry
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. race — a contest
  11. court — of law
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. charge — in control
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. ground — crushed
  16. court — of a king
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. court — for sport
  19. drill — army training
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. fork — in a road
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  24. charge — electricity

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