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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rash — a series
  5. mark — a trace
  6. chest — a box
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. ground — crushed
  9. rule — a law
  10. chest — of your body
  11. net — for catching
  12. chest — of your body
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. net — after costs
  15. rash — hasty
  16. present — there
  17. ground — the earth
  18. net — in sport
  19. ground — a position
  20. present — a gift
  21. deal — to handle
  22. present — the time now
  23. rule — government
  24. deal — an agreement

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