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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: bat · current · nail · cell · drill · pit · face · ground

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. face — to point toward
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — in biology
  5. face — to confront
  6. cell — a phone
  7. drill — the tool
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. face — part of the head
  10. drill — army training
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. ground — the earth
  16. drill — a practice
  17. current — electric
  18. ground — a position
  19. current — of water
  20. bat — the animal
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pit — a hole
  23. current — happening now
  24. ground — crushed

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