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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rule — government
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bound — certain
  8. charge — electricity
  9. band — a music group
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pop — music
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. band — a ring
  19. charge — in control
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rule — a law
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. charge — a price

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