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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. drill — a practice
  5. net — for catching
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. drill — the tool
  13. game — a match
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. net — in sport
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. drill — army training
  18. game — wild animals
  19. rash — a series
  20. firm — decided
  21. net — after costs
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stem — to come from

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