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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: rule · drill · vault · ground · charge · game · track · hide

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. game — a kind of play
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. track — to keep track
  4. charge — in control
  5. game — wild animals
  6. ground — crushed
  7. drill — army training
  8. rule — a law
  9. charge — electricity
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. vault — a safe
  14. charge — a price
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. ground — a position
  18. rule — government
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. game — a match
  22. ground — the earth
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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