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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. drill — army training
  3. capital — a city
  4. drill — the tool
  5. pop — music
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. capital — money
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. rule — a law
  12. cold — an illness
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. drill — a practice
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. rule — government
  20. pop — soda
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. cold — not warm

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