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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rule — government
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bat — the animal
  6. net — in sport
  7. mate — a partner
  8. present — there
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. mate — to breed
  14. net — after costs
  15. present — a gift
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. present — the time now
  19. mug — a face
  20. tube — a container
  21. foot — a measure
  22. net — for catching
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mate — a friend

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