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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: firm · court · pop · nail · drill · dip · march · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. march — music
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. staff — employees
  5. drill — a practice
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pop — music
  8. firm — decided
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. court — of a king
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. pop — soda
  14. firm — steady
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. firm — a company
  17. court — for sport
  18. drill — the tool
  19. staff — employees
  20. pop — to visit
  21. dip — to sink
  22. court — of law
  23. drill — army training
  24. nail — for a hammer

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