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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. track — a song
  4. firm — steady
  5. kid — child
  6. rule — a law
  7. track — a path
  8. staff — employees
  9. firm — decided
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. net — for catching
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. staff — a stick
  15. firm — a company
  16. rule — government
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. net — after costs
  20. kid — to tease
  21. net — in sport
  22. track — to keep track
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. staff — employees

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