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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. capital — money
  3. fine — all right
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rash — a series
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rest — a break
  14. rule — government
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. swing — music
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. capital — a city
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fine — high quality
  21. rule — a law
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. swing — in golf

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