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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. staff — employees
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bore — to tire
  8. rule — government
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rash — hasty
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. rule — a law
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rash — a series
  24. staff — employees

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