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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: bear · drill · key · mouse · chair · mug · hand · ground

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. ground — the earth
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bear — the animal
  5. drill — a practice
  6. key — for a lock
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. key — in music
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. bear — the animal
  14. key — the most important part
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mug — a face
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mug — to rob
  20. hand — help
  21. ground — a position
  22. mug — a cup
  23. chair — a leader
  24. ground — crushed

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