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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rule — government
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. game — a match
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. pop — soda
  14. tube — the underground
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rash — hasty
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rule — a law
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rash — a series
  24. tube — a container

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