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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 120 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: bank · clip · rule · drill · sharp · swing · pitcher · net

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bank — for money
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. clip — to cut
  5. drill — the tool
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — government
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — army training
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — in sport
  13. bank — of a river
  14. swing — in golf
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. clip — for paper
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bank — for money
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. swing — to play on
  22. clip — a video
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. net — after costs

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