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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 120 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
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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 · mark · bulb · chip · tear · pitcher · drill · deal

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. drill — the tool
  13. ground — a position
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. deal — to handle
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. drill — army training
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. deal — a big deal

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