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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. mug — a cup
  3. net — for catching
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — completely
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. net — in sport
  9. dip — to sink
  10. net — after costs
  11. firm — a company
  12. mug — to rob
  13. firm — decided
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mug — a face
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. rule — a law
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. firm — steady

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