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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. mug — a face
  3. ball — a great time
  4. object — an aim
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pop — soda
  11. land — a country
  12. land — ground
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pop — music
  15. object — to protest
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. rule — government
  18. pop — to visit
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. object — a thing
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. tube — a container
  24. land — to come down

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