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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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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 · pop · stand · swing · ground · rush · temple · pit

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. ground — the earth
  3. drill — a practice
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pop — music
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pop — to visit
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. swing — to play on
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. ground — a position
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pop — soda
  22. pit — a hole
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — music

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