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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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rule — government
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. rest — what's left
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. staff — employees
  8. degree — from a university
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. degree — temperature
  14. staff — a stick
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. degree — an amount
  18. rule — a law
  19. game — wild animals
  20. rest — what's left
  21. staff — employees
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rest — a break
  24. game — a match

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