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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: fine · fork · drill · ground · dip · kid · temple · staff

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fine — all right
  5. drill — army training
  6. ground — a position
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. staff — employees
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. ground — crushed
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. staff — a stick
  15. ground — the earth
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. drill — a practice
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. dip — to sink
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. kid — to tease
  23. staff — employees
  24. drill — the tool

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