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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. can — a tin
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fine — high quality
  7. drill — army training
  8. ground — the earth
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. charge — electricity
  15. court — for sport
  16. fine — all right
  17. court — of law
  18. drill — a practice
  19. can — to be able to
  20. court — of a king
  21. drill — the tool
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. can — a tin
  24. ground — crushed

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