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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: drill · dip · mug · spell · club · kick · march · stand

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. march — the month
  3. spell — a short time
  4. drill — the tool
  5. spell — letters
  6. kick — in football
  7. spell — magic
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. march — the month
  13. mug — a face
  14. drill — army training
  15. march — music
  16. mug — a cup
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. club — for golf
  20. drill — a practice
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mug — to rob
  23. stand — to bear
  24. club — for dancing

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