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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — the tool
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. chest — of your body
  5. drill — a practice
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rule — a law
  13. chest — a box
  14. firm — a company
  15. field — a subject
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. chest — of your body
  19. firm — steady
  20. field — for sport
  21. firm — decided
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. rule — government
  24. field — farmland

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