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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: bay · current · ball · pit · drill · rule · saw · race

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. race — a contest
  4. current — electric
  5. race — the arms race
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. current — of water
  9. pit — in a race
  10. rule — government
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. current — happening now
  14. pit — a hole
  15. ball — a great time
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. drill — the tool
  23. race — humankind
  24. drill — a practice

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