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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rule — government
  8. date — the fruit
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. mug — a face
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. rule — a law
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pitch — completely
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — the tool

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