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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. rule — a law
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. season — of the year
  5. land — to come down
  6. mark — a grade
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pop — soda
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — government
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wake — a trail
  14. land — a country
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. land — ground
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. season — in sport
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pop — 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