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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. drill — army training
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. content — the amount
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. drill — the tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. drill — a practice
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. content — happy

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