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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · mug · perch · saw · patient · drill · board · jam

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. board — a committee
  3. saw — the tool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mug — to rob
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. drill — a practice
  8. board — to get on
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rule — government
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mug — a cup
  13. drill — the tool
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. mug — a face
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. saw — the tool
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rule — a law
  24. jam — a tight spot

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