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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. suit — in cards
  7. rule — a law
  8. net — for catching
  9. suit — clothes
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the sport
  12. ball — a great time
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ball — a dance
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rule — government
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. tube — a container

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