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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. net — for catching
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. vault — a safe
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. net — in sport
  7. chip — for betting
  8. net — after costs
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. mark — a trace
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. roll — a list
  15. rule — government
  16. mark — a grade
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. roll — a cake
  19. chip — to eat
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. squash — the sport
  22. pop — soda
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. rule — a law

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