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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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Word bank
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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. rule — a law
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pound — a weight
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. clip — a video
  7. present — a gift
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bound — obliged
  11. present — the time now
  12. bound — certain
  13. clip — to cut
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. rule — government
  17. bass — low music
  18. bound — tied together
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — the tool
  23. present — there
  24. clip — for paper

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