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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. last — finally
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. rule — a law
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. key — for a lock
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. key — the most important part
  11. rule — government
  12. roll — a list
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. last — final
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. last — to go on
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a cake
  22. cold — an illness
  23. key — in music
  24. cold — not warm

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