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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rest — a break
  4. ball — a great time
  5. rule — government
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. firm — decided
  9. cap — a hat
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. ball — a dance
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pit — a hole
  17. firm — steady
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bound — tied together
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bound — obliged
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bound — certain
  24. pit — in a race

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