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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. wake — a trail
  5. land — ground
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rule — a law
  9. land — a country
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — government
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. board — a committee
  19. land — to come down
  20. board — to get on
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — a measure
  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