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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: roll · sharp · toast · drill · fork · firm · swing · ground

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. roll — a cake
  3. drill — army training
  4. swing — music
  5. drill — a practice
  6. fork — in a road
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. roll — a list
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — a position
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. firm — a company
  14. sharp — clever
  15. ground — the earth
  16. firm — decided
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. swing — to play on
  19. toast — bread
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. swing — in golf
  22. drill — the tool
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. firm — steady

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