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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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — government
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mug — a face
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. face — to point toward
  10. staff — employees
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. key — for a lock
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. face — part of the head
  18. staff — a stick
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — in music
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. face — to confront
  23. staff — employees
  24. degree — temperature

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