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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. spring — a coil
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — in cards
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. game — a match
  12. mark — a grade
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. spring — the season
  15. rule — government
  16. suit — to fit
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. game — wild animals
  21. spring — of water
  22. pitch — completely
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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