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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 116 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rule — government
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fine — all right
  6. rule — a law
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. object — to protest
  10. drill — a practice
  11. fine — high quality
  12. ground — a position
  13. object — an aim
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — the tool
  16. ball — a dance
  17. spell — letters
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. spell — magic
  21. object — a thing
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. spell — a short time
  24. fine — a penalty

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