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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. ground — crushed
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. roll — a cake
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. object — an aim
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mug — a cup
  10. ground — a position
  11. craft — a skill
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pitch — completely
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. mug — to rob
  16. object — to protest
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. craft — boats
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. object — a thing
  21. roll — a list
  22. mug — a face
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rule — government

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