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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bore — to drill
  4. net — in sport
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. net — for catching
  7. can — to be able to
  8. net — after costs
  9. drill — army training
  10. pitch — completely
  11. rule — a law
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rule — government
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. drill — the tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. can — a tin
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. chair — a leader
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. chair — a professorship

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