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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rule — a law
  3. drill — the tool
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rush — hurry
  6. drill — a practice
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. ball — a dance
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. ball — a great time
  13. foot — a measure
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. rule — government
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. drill — army training
  18. foot — part of the body

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