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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: pop · chair · roll · key · temple · ground · bear · drill

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bear — the animal
  3. roll — a cake
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pop — music
  8. drill — the tool
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. key — for a lock
  12. drill — a practice
  13. roll — a list
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. ground — the earth
  18. key — the most important part
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. key — in music
  21. ground — a position
  22. drill — army training
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pop — soda

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