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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. date — the fruit
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. swing — in golf
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. swing — music
  11. row — to paddle
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. row — a line
  14. rule — government
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — bread
  17. rule — a law
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. drill — the tool
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. drill — a practice
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. swing — to play on
  24. date — on the calendar

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