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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 120 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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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 · rest · rule · club · foot · mouse · current · bay

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rule — government
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. current — of water
  8. drill — the tool
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. current — happening now
  11. club — for golf
  12. foot — a measure
  13. rest — what's left
  14. club — for dancing
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. current — electric
  18. club — a group
  19. drill — army training
  20. rest — a break
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. rule — a law
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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