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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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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. wound — an injury
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. charge — electricity
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. charge — a price
  7. cue — for pool
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ground — a position
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rule — government
  14. ground — the earth
  15. rule — a law
  16. charge — in control
  17. ground — crushed
  18. wound — past of 'wind'

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