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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.

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: drill · ground · kick · squash · net · dip · march · pass

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. march — music
  3. squash — to crush
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. net — in sport
  8. march — the month
  9. drill — the tool
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. drill — army training
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pass — a permit
  14. kick — in football
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. drill — a practice
  18. ground — a position
  19. march — the month
  20. dip — to sink
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. ground — crushed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. dip — a sauce

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