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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.

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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 · tear · ground · ball · chip · safe · deal · hide

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. ground — a position
  4. tear — from crying
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. tear — to rip
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. deal — to handle
  10. ground — crushed
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. chip — to eat
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chip — for betting
  16. drill — the tool
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. ground — the earth
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. tear — from crying
  22. drill — a practice
  23. ball — a great time
  24. chip — in a computer

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