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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. rule — government
  3. squash — the sport
  4. court — of law
  5. mug — to rob
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. ground — a position
  10. court — of a king
  11. mug — a face
  12. snap — to click
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pass — a permit
  15. court — for sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rule — a law
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. coach — a trainer

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