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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: rule · tube · arm · stand · mate · root · drill · pit

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. root — of a plant
  2. mate — to breed
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pit — a hole
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. drill — a practice
  10. root — of a word
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rule — a law
  17. drill — army training
  18. pit — in a race
  19. root — the cause
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. drill — the tool
  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