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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: drill · chair · racket · rule · can · rock · bulb · cap

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. rule — a law
  6. bulb — for light
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cap — of ice
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. rule — government
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — music
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. chair — a leader
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bulb — for light
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — a practice
  22. can — to be able to
  23. drill — the tool
  24. chair — a professorship

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