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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. present — the time now
  7. fine — all right
  8. present — a gift
  9. rock — a stone
  10. fine — high quality
  11. rule — a law
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. spring — of water
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. spring — the season
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. spring — a coil
  20. ball — a dance
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. present — there
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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