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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · mine · leaves · swing · drill · bank · ground · rule

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. mine — belonging to me
  2. drill — army training
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mine — for digging
  8. swing — music
  9. bank — of a river
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bank — for money
  13. scale — in music
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. bank — for money
  17. drill — the tool
  18. scale — size or range
  19. swing — to play on
  20. rule — government
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. swing — in golf
  23. rule — a law
  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