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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rule — a law
  4. last — to go on
  5. cue — for pool
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. club — for golf
  10. rule — government
  11. cue — a signal
  12. last — final
  13. game — a match
  14. game — wild animals
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rush — hurry
  17. last — finally
  18. club — a group
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. club — for dancing
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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