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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · roll · dip · bowl · mine · ground · date · bay

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — a practice
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. roll — a cake
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. drill — the tool
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. date — the fruit
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. roll — a list
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mine — for digging
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. ground — the earth

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