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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. rule — government
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. rash — a series
  7. present — there
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. present — a gift
  10. drill — army training
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. drill — a practice
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. tube — a container
  16. rash — hasty
  17. drill — the tool
  18. cap — a hat
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. present — the time now
  24. bowl — to roll

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