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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: roll · rule · net · drill · track · bat · current · chair

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bat — the animal
  3. drill — army training
  4. track — a song
  5. net — after costs
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. rule — government
  10. track — a path
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — a law
  13. drill — a practice
  14. roll — a list
  15. chair — a leader
  16. current — of water
  17. track — to keep track
  18. net — for catching
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. current — happening now
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. current — electric

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