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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: rush · drill · saw · perch · swing · pitcher · fine · rule

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rush — hurry
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. drill — a practice
  18. saw — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. saw — the tool

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