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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 116 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: drill · rule · bowl · chair · key · bass · saw · stick

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. saw — the tool
  3. chair — a leader
  4. rule — a law
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. key — in music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. drill — a practice
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bass — low music
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. drill — the tool
  20. rule — government
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rule — to rule out

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