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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pop · drill · key · perch · bank · court · rule · game

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. game — wild animals
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pop — to visit
  5. court — of a king
  6. key — in music
  7. bank — of a river
  8. rule — a law
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pop — soda
  13. court — of law
  14. drill — a practice
  15. perch — the fish
  16. court — for sport
  17. pop — music
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bank — for money
  20. key — for a lock
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bank — for money
  23. game — a match
  24. rule — government

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