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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 · deal · band · jam · chip · foot · ground · bay

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. band — a music group
  3. drill — the tool
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. chip — for betting
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. band — a ring
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. drill — a practice
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. drill — army training
  15. ground — the earth
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  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