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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. club — a group
  4. wind — moving air
  5. last — final
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. club — for golf
  8. court — for sport
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. court — of law
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — finally
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. roll — a list
  20. club — for dancing
  21. court — of a king
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. roll — a cake
  24. wind — moving air

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