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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: game · rule · bank · drill · squash · stick · bound · pass

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. drill — a practice
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bank — for money
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bound — obliged
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bound — certain
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bank — for money
  13. squash — the sport
  14. game — a match
  15. squash — to crush
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. rule — government
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. rule — a law
  22. bound — tied together
  23. game — wild animals
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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