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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cue — for pool
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rule — a law
  7. squash — to crush
  8. tube — a container
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. fine — all right
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. pass — a permit
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. snap — to click
  23. squash — the sport
  24. fine — a penalty

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