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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.

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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: pop · craft · drill · land · pass · march · bowl · face

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. pop — soda
  3. drill — the tool
  4. face — to confront
  5. march — the month
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. land — ground
  11. land — to come down
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. march — music
  15. land — a country
  16. march — the month
  17. craft — boats
  18. pop — to visit
  19. face — part of the head
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. drill — army training
  22. pop — music
  23. face — to point toward
  24. drill — a practice

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