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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: pass · mug · ground · drill · toast · spell · ball · march

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. march — the month
  3. spell — letters
  4. toast — bread
  5. drill — army training
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. march — the month
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. drill — a practice
  16. mug — a cup
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. ground — the earth
  20. spell — magic
  21. pass — a permit
  22. march — music
  23. mug — a face
  24. spell — a short time

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