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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: staff · rash · pitcher · bark · cap · rule · drill · fine

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. drill — army training
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. cap — a hat
  9. rule — a law
  10. staff — a stick
  11. cap — of ice
  12. staff — employees
  13. rule — government
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. fine — high quality
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. rash — hasty
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. staff — employees
  22. rash — a series
  23. cap — a lid
  24. fine — all right

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