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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rule — government
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bass — low music
  5. roll — a list
  6. spring — the season
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. fine — high quality
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rule — a law
  14. bound — certain
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. bound — tied together
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fine — all right
  23. bound — obliged
  24. roll — a cake

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