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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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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. club — a group
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. drill — the tool
  5. sharp — clever
  6. tube — a container
  7. pound — a weight
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. rule — government
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. chair — a leader
  15. rule — a law
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. drill — army training
  19. tube — the underground
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. club — for golf
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. club — for dancing
  24. tube — in a tire

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