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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rush — hurry
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rule — government
  8. lean — thin
  9. saw — the tool
  10. game — a match
  11. land — ground
  12. pit — in a race
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. land — a country
  19. pit — a hole
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. rule — a law
  22. land — to come down
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rush — to hurry

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