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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. drill — a practice
  6. field — a subject
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. drill — army training
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rule — a law
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. branch — a division
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. rule — government
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. drill — the tool
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — to tease

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