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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rule — government
  6. cue — a signal
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cue — for pool
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. game — a match
  14. fine — all right
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. fine — high quality
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. game — wild animals
  21. file — a document
  22. chair — a leader
  23. cue — a hint
  24. file — a tool

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