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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. club — a group
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. club — for dancing
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. object — to protest
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bat — the animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. squash — to crush
  16. club — for golf
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. squash — the sport
  19. object — a thing
  20. rule — government
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. rock — a stone
  23. object — an aim
  24. rock — music

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