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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: hide · drill · charge · squash · ground · track · date · cell

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. charge — in control
  4. drill — army training
  5. track — to keep track
  6. ground — crushed
  7. drill — a practice
  8. track — a song
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. squash — the sport
  11. ground — the earth
  12. charge — a price
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. drill — the tool
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. charge — electricity
  19. squash — to crush
  20. track — a path
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in biology
  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