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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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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 · ground · ball · mark · season · coach · roll · arm

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mark — a trace
  4. drill — a practice
  5. ground — the earth
  6. season — in sport
  7. ground — a position
  8. roll — a list
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. drill — army training
  13. ball — a dance
  14. season — of the year
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. drill — the tool
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. ground — crushed
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. roll — a cake
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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