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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: rule · chip · drill · content · prune · squash · swing · bore

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bore — to tire
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rule — a law
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. content — the amount
  8. squash — the sport
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. drill — army training
  15. squash — to crush
  16. drill — a practice
  17. swing — to play on
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. swing — in golf
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bore — to drill
  22. content — happy
  23. rule — government
  24. drill — 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