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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rule — a law
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pop — music
  17. content — the amount
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pop — soda
  20. sharp — clever
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. content — happy

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