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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 116 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. present — a gift
  3. rush — hurry
  4. club — for golf
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. cue — for pool
  11. present — there
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. capital — a city
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. cue — a signal
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. present — the time now
  20. cue — a hint
  21. club — a group
  22. capital — money
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rule — government

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