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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: content · rule · cap · kick · stick · racket · drill · fall

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rule — government
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. drill — army training
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cap — of ice
  11. fall — to drop
  12. content — the amount
  13. cap — a hat
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. rule — a law
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. drill — the tool
  19. cap — a lid
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. kick — in football
  22. content — happy
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fall — the season

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