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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. staff — a stick
  3. track — a song
  4. fine — all right
  5. content — happy
  6. staff — employees
  7. fine — high quality
  8. track — a path
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. track — to keep track
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rule — government
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. rule — a law
  16. staff — employees
  17. content — the amount
  18. rule — to rule out

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