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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. content — the amount
  3. swing — music
  4. can — a tin
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rule — government
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fine — all right
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. can — a tin
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. swing — in golf
  16. drill — a practice
  17. can — to be able to
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rule — a law
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. swing — to play on
  22. drill — army training
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — happy

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