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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ground · drill · fork · rush · wave · pass · stand · ball

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. rush — hurry
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. ground — crushed
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. drill — a practice
  15. pass — a permit
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ground — a position
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. drill — army training
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. stand — to bear
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. fork — in a road

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