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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: ground · drill · fine · can · land · snap · hand · fork

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. land — to come down
  3. snap — to click
  4. can — a tin
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. land — ground
  8. can — a tin
  9. drill — a practice
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. can — to be able to
  15. land — a country
  16. fine — high quality
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. ground — the earth
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fine — all right
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — the tool
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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