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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: content · deal · rule · spring · pass · pitcher · drill · swing

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. rule — government
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. drill — a practice
  7. swing — music
  8. rule — a law
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. drill — army training
  11. deal — to handle
  12. swing — to play on
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. content — happy
  17. spring — the season
  18. content — the amount
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. spring — of water
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. swing — in golf

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