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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. rule — a law
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. vault — a safe
  7. stock — goods
  8. rule — government
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. drill — army training
  11. fine — high quality
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. current — of water
  17. fine — all right
  18. bore — to tire
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. current — happening now
  22. bore — to drill
  23. current — electric
  24. rule — to rule out

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