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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 116 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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rule — government
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. drill — army training
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rest — a break
  15. rule — a law
  16. drill — a practice
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pitch — completely
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pit — in a race
  24. nail — for a hammer

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