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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rash — a series
  5. staff — a stick
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ground — a position
  8. staff — employees
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rule — a law
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. ground — the earth
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. ball — a great time
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rule — government
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rash — hasty
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. staff — employees

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