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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — a law
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bat — the animal
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. current — of water
  11. staff — employees
  12. current — happening now
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pound — a weight
  15. staff — a stick
  16. band — a ring
  17. current — electric
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. staff — employees
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. band — a music group
  24. bat — for baseball

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