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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. season — of the year
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. drill — a practice
  9. dip — to sink
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rule — government
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. chip — for betting
  14. season — in sport
  15. rash — hasty
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rash — a series
  22. drill — army training
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. season — to add flavour

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