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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. last — finally
  3. pitch — completely
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bank — for money
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. wound — an injury
  9. last — final
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rule — government
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. rock — music
  15. bank — for money
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. cue — for pool
  18. rule — a law
  19. last — to go on
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bank — of a river
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. cue — a hint

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