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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rule — government
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rule — a law
  5. rest — a break
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. club — a group
  10. toast — bread
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. club — for golf
  15. bulb — for light
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mark — a trace
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. club — for dancing
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bulb — of a plant

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