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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. dip — to sink
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rock — a stone
  10. swing — music
  11. mark — a grade
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. swing — in golf
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rule — government
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. game — a match
  23. swing — to play on
  24. dip — a sauce

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