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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: bat · spell · rest · fine · content · bay · drill · ground

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. ground — crushed
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. content — happy
  7. fine — high quality
  8. spell — a short time
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — the animal
  12. spell — magic
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. spell — letters
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. ground — the earth
  20. content — the amount
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. ground — a position
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bay — a horse colour

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