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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: rest · ball · wake · rule · drill · pitcher · safe · bay

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. ball — a great time
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. drill — army training
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rule — a law
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. rest — a break
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. drill — a practice

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