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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. clip — for paper
  3. mark — a trace
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. club — for dancing
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ball — a great time
  11. club — a group
  12. clip — to cut
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rule — government
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. mark — a grade
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. key — for a lock
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. club — for golf
  23. clip — a video
  24. safe — out of danger

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