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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bat — the animal
  3. rule — a law
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pop — music
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mark — a trace
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. tube — a container
  18. pop — soda
  19. rule — government
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pop — to visit
  22. file — a document
  23. ball — a great time
  24. safe — a strongbox

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