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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. rule — government
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mug — a cup
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — to rob
  9. net — in sport
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. sharp — clever
  14. chip — to eat
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. kid — to tease
  17. board — to get on
  18. kid — child
  19. net — for catching
  20. board — a committee
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. chip — for betting
  23. net — after costs
  24. sharp — with an edge

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