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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. drill — army training
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. march — the month
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. can — a tin
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. march — the month
  14. rule — government
  15. can — a tin
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fine — all right
  19. can — to be able to
  20. drill — the tool
  21. rule — a law
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fine — high quality
  24. drill — a practice

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