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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 120 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rule — government
  3. fine — high quality
  4. prune — to trim
  5. firm — steady
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pass — a permit
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. firm — decided
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mark — a grade
  17. firm — a company
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. rule — a law
  24. nail — for a hammer

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