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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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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. swing — to play on
  3. drill — a practice
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. squash — to crush
  6. drill — the tool
  7. rule — a law
  8. squash — the sport
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. board — to get on
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. swing — music
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. swing — in golf
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. board — a committee
  21. rule — government
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pitcher — a jug

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