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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. rash — a series
  3. bore — to tire
  4. rule — government
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. net — for catching
  11. pit — in a race
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bore — to drill
  14. rule — a law
  15. track — a path
  16. net — after costs
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. rash — hasty
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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