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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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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: plane · swing · drill · pit · stick · ground · calf · rule

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. ground — a position
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. drill — the tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pit — in a race
  9. ground — the earth
  10. pit — a hole
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — government
  14. ground — crushed
  15. drill — a practice
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. swing — music
  24. calf — a young animal

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