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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. field — for sport
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. sharp — clever
  12. wake — a trail
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. field — a subject
  15. game — a match
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rule — government
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pass — a permit
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. field — farmland
  24. fan — to cool the air

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