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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. net — for catching
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. stock — goods
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. swing — music
  7. net — after costs
  8. swing — in golf
  9. net — in sport
  10. mark — a grade
  11. rule — government
  12. ball — a dance
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — a container
  15. mark — a trace
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. ball — a great time
  19. press — to push
  20. press — a publisher
  21. stock — shares
  22. swing — to play on
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. tube — in a tire

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