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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. spring — the season
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. pitch — completely
  8. branch — a division
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. tube — a container
  16. cue — for pool
  17. rule — government
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. rule — a law
  21. cue — a signal
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. spring — a coil
  24. wave — of the sea

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