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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. march — the month
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. rule — a law
  9. ground — the earth
  10. drill — army training
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. ground — crushed
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. current — electric
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rule — government
  18. drill — a practice
  19. rock — a stone
  20. march — music
  21. mark — a grade
  22. rock — music
  23. ground — a position
  24. march — the month

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