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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rule — government
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. mark — a grade
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. suit — to fit
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rule — a law
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. suit — in cards
  16. drill — a practice
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. drill — army training
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. mark — a trace
  22. chair — a leader
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. suit — clothes

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