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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. squash — the sport
  3. firm — a company
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. can — to be able to
  6. squash — to crush
  7. can — a tin
  8. tear — from crying
  9. present — there
  10. firm — decided
  11. rule — government
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. firm — steady
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rule — a law
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — a gift
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. can — a tin
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. game — a match

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