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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. drill — army training
  3. land — to come down
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. charge — a price
  6. rock — a stone
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rock — music
  11. drill — the tool
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. charge — electricity
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. land — ground
  21. charge — in control
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. land — a country
  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