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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: pitcher · pop · rule · foot · drill · cabinet · jam · mouse

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pop — music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pop — to visit
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. drill — army training
  13. pop — soda
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. drill — a practice
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. drill — the tool
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rule — a law
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mouse — the animal

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