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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: suit · rule · capital · last · bowl · firm · drill · roll

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. roll — a cake
  3. firm — a company
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. last — to go on
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — clothes
  9. firm — steady
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. drill — the tool
  12. capital — a city
  13. drill — army training
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. firm — decided
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. last — finally
  18. rule — a law
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. last — final
  21. roll — a list
  22. capital — money
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. rule — government

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