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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: drill · capital · arm · fine · rush · stand · season · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. drill — army training
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. fine — high quality
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — a city
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. fine — all right
  17. rule — government
  18. season — of the year
  19. capital — money
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rule — a law
  24. rush — hurry

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