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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. can — to be able to
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. net — in sport
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. cue — a hint
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. net — for catching
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. net — after costs
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lean — thin
  17. bass — the fish
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bass — low music
  21. cue — for pool
  22. tube — a container
  23. lean — to bend
  24. can — a tin

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