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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. suit — to fit
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rule — government
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. suit — in cards
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bound — certain
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bound — tied together
  12. plane — a tool
  13. suit — clothes
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bound — obliged
  19. ground — a position
  20. field — for sport
  21. rule — a law
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. net — in sport

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