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

Word bank: drill · lash · pitcher · chip · rule · jam · bat · ruler

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. rule — government
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bat — the animal
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. drill — the tool
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. drill — army training
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rule — a law
  21. drill — a practice
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. pitcher — a jug

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