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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. drill — army training
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. drill — a practice
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. squash — the sport
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pit — in a race
  9. squash — to crush
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rock — music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. drill — the tool
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — a law

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