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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. game — wild animals
  7. rule — a law
  8. degree — an amount
  9. sharp — clever
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. game — a match
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. degree — from a university
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. toast — bread
  19. rule — government
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — to shout
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. degree — temperature

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