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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. swing — in golf
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — government
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. swing — music
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. swing — to play on
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. date — the fruit
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. date — on the calendar

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