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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: drill · row · rule · suit · coach · jam · clip · scale

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. scale — size or range
  3. clip — to cut
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. suit — clothes
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. clip — for paper
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. drill — the tool
  12. scale — in music
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. clip — a video
  16. drill — army training
  17. rule — a law
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a line
  20. rule — government
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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