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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. season — in sport
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. club — a group
  11. season — of the year
  12. club — for golf
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rule — government
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rule — a law
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. saw — the tool
  23. club — for dancing
  24. cabinet — ministers

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