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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. drill — a practice
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. ground — crushed
  8. fine — high quality
  9. squash — the sport
  10. kid — to tease
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. fine — all right
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. drill — army training
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ground — the earth
  18. drill — the tool
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. squash — to crush
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. ground — a position

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