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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. net — after costs
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rule — a law
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. rule — government
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. net — in sport
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. net — for catching
  17. stem — to come from
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. drill — army training
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. drill — the tool
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. drill — a practice

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