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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rule — government
  3. cue — for pool
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bound — obliged
  6. content — happy
  7. file — a tool
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rule — a law
  10. file — a document
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. file — a line of people
  13. cue — a hint
  14. saw — the tool
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bound — tied together
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. content — the amount
  20. bound — certain
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. saw — the tool
  24. deal — a big deal

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