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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: drill · rock · pit · rule · ground · pop · net · bulb

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rule — government
  5. net — in sport
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pop — music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pit — in a race
  12. net — for catching
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rule — a law
  21. drill — the tool
  22. net — after costs
  23. pop — soda
  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