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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. ball — a dance
  3. file — a document
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bank — for money
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. ball — a great time
  9. file — a tool
  10. bank — of a river
  11. drill — the tool
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — a law
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. degree — from a university
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bank — for money
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — temperature
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. file — a line of people

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