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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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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: current · drill · stand · roll · cabinet · deal · face · club

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. face — to point toward
  3. deal — to handle
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. drill — army training
  6. roll — a cake
  7. face — part of the head
  8. club — for golf
  9. current — of water
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. drill — a practice
  13. current — happening now
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. face — to confront
  20. roll — a list
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stand — to bear
  23. current — electric
  24. deal — a big deal

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