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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. race — a contest
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bound — certain
  5. spell — magic
  6. bound — obliged
  7. net — after costs
  8. rule — a law
  9. spell — letters
  10. net — in sport
  11. race — the arms race
  12. rest — a break
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. race — humankind
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cue — a signal
  18. rest — what's left
  19. net — for catching
  20. rule — government
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bound — tied together
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cue — for pool

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