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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: toast · bay · key · stick · rule · cap · drill · band

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. band — a ring
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. drill — army training
  10. rule — government
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. toast — bread
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cap — a hat
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rule — a law

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