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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: roll · rule · pit · drill · hand · stick · perch · fan

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. roll — a list
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pit — a hole
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rule — government
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rule — a law
  23. roll — a cake
  24. hand — help

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