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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 · object · mouse · ball · jam · file · rule · sharp

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. rule — a law
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rule — government
  9. sharp — clever
  10. object — an aim
  11. drill — the tool
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. drill — a practice
  14. ball — a great time
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. file — a document
  18. ball — a dance
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. file — a tool
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. object — a thing
  24. drill — army training

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