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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: ruler · chair · rock · jam · toast · drill · pit · spell

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. spell — letters
  5. drill — the tool
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. rock — music
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. drill — army training
  16. toast — bread
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. drill — a practice
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chair — a leader
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rock — a 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