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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: drill · perch · content · stick · rash · pit · key · rule

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rule — government
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — a practice
  5. key — in music
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rash — a series
  10. drill — the tool
  11. pit — a hole
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rule — a law
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — happy
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. content — the amount
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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