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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. drill — army training
  5. board — to get on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. court — of a king
  9. band — a music group
  10. ground — crushed
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. board — a committee
  15. rush — hurry
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. ground — the earth
  19. drill — the tool
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. chair — a leader
  23. ground — a position
  24. band — a ring

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