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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rule — government
  3. track — a path
  4. bound — obliged
  5. fine — high quality
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. fine — all right
  9. game — wild animals
  10. track — a song
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. game — a match
  13. rush — hurry
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bound — tied together
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rule — a law
  18. track — to keep track
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bound — certain
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rule — to rule out

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