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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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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 · rule · net · wake · deal · craft · chair · ball

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. net — for catching
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. net — after costs
  6. drill — army training
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rule — government
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. wake — a trail
  13. drill — a practice
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. net — in sport
  17. rule — a law
  18. craft — a skill
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. ball — a great time
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. deal — to handle
  24. drill — the tool

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