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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. drill — the tool
  3. rule — government
  4. roll — a cake
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rule — a law
  8. cap — of ice
  9. net — for catching
  10. mug — to rob
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mark — a grade
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. drill — a practice
  15. mug — a cup
  16. roll — a list
  17. mark — a trace
  18. net — after costs
  19. mug — a face
  20. cap — a hat
  21. net — in sport
  22. mine — for digging
  23. cap — a lid
  24. drill — army training

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