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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — steady
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. rule — government
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. firm — decided
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. game — wild animals
  14. press — to push
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wax — to grow
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. press — newspapers
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. press — a publisher
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. ball — a dance

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