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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. capital — a city
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. rule — a law
  8. kid — child
  9. pitch — completely
  10. rule — government
  11. capital — money
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. tear — from crying
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. rest — a break
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rest — what's left
  22. kid — to tease
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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