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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. present — there
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. rule — government
  6. suit — to fit
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. present — the time now
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. suit — clothes
  12. present — a gift
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cell — in biology
  17. board — to get on
  18. cell — a phone
  19. rule — a law
  20. board — a committee
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. wax — in the ear

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