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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. current — electric
  8. bat — the animal
  9. tear — from crying
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bass — low music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. rule — government
  16. current — of water
  17. rule — a law
  18. charge — a price
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. charge — in control
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. drill — a practice
  23. current — happening now
  24. mouse — for a computer

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