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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: chest · mark · present · pop · drill · rule · firm · can

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rule — government
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. present — the time now
  8. pop — soda
  9. can — a tin
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. firm — a company
  12. can — a tin
  13. drill — the tool
  14. firm — steady
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — a practice
  17. present — there
  18. rule — a law
  19. firm — decided
  20. present — a gift
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — to visit

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