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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rock — a stone
  5. game — wild animals
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rock — music
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. game — a match
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. rule — government
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. track — a path
  18. rule — a law

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