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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. board — a committee
  6. kid — child
  7. rule — a law
  8. rest — a break
  9. board — to get on
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. rule — government
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. roll — a cake
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. pop — to visit
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. roll — a list
  21. kid — to tease
  22. pop — soda
  23. rest — what's left
  24. chair — a leader

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