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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: rule · drill · sharp · foot · club · track · pass · fan

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. track — a path
  4. rule — government
  5. drill — a practice
  6. club — for dancing
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. drill — army training
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. track — a song
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rule — a law
  16. club — for golf
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pass — a permit
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. club — a group
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — a measure

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