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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. shower — to wash
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. rule — a law
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. cap — a hat
  11. chip — to eat
  12. cap — a lid
  13. suit — clothes
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. row — a line
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. suit — in cards
  18. rule — government
  19. ball — a dance
  20. chip — for betting
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. row — to paddle
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. shower — rain

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