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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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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 · kick · jam · firm · root · ground · band · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. drill — the tool
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. firm — decided
  5. drill — army training
  6. root — the cause
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a music group
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. ground — the earth
  16. kick — in football
  17. root — of a word
  18. firm — steady
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. root — of a plant
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. drill — a practice
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. firm — a company

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