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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 116 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: drill · sharp · firm · ball · current · dip · snap · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. ball — a dance
  4. drill — the tool
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. firm — a company
  7. current — happening now
  8. march — the month
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. current — of water
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. current — electric
  13. firm — decided
  14. drill — a practice
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. drill — army training
  17. sharp — clever
  18. ball — a great time
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. march — the month
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. snap — to click
  23. firm — steady
  24. dip — to sink

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