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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: club · mouse · pitcher · rule · squash · mate · root · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. root — the cause
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. mate — to breed
  7. squash — the sport
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. mate — a partner
  11. club — for dancing
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rule — government
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. root — of a word
  19. rule — a law
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. club — for golf
  23. mate — a friend
  24. club — a group

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