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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: dip · foot · drill · wave · pitcher · ground · march · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ground — the earth
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. content — happy
  7. dip — to sink
  8. drill — army training
  9. march — the month
  10. ground — crushed
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. march — music
  16. foot — a measure
  17. content — the amount
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. march — the month
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. ground — a position
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. wave — of the sea

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