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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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Word bank
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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. degree — an amount
  9. spring — the season
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — to rob
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mug — a face
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bass — low music
  19. spring — a coil
  20. degree — temperature
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. spring — of water
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bass — the fish

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