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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: ground · perch · pop · rush · plane · cabinet · squash · drill

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. drill — army training
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pop — soda
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. drill — the tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. drill — a practice
  14. plane — a tool
  15. perch — the fish
  16. ground — a position
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pop — to visit
  19. squash — the sport
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pop — music
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. cabinet — ministers

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