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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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rule — government
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pitch — completely
  5. rule — a law
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bass — the fish
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. drill — army training
  13. bass — low music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. drill — the tool
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rash — a series
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bore — gave birth

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