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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. drill — a practice
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a line
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. drill — army training
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. game — a match
  12. rule — a law
  13. scale — in music
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. rule — government
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pitch — completely
  20. game — wild animals
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. kick — in football
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. scale — size or range

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