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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. cap — of ice
  3. pitch — completely
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. file — a line of people
  6. sharp — clever
  7. firm — a company
  8. file — a document
  9. cap — a hat
  10. firm — steady
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mark — a trace
  14. cap — a lid
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. firm — decided
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mark — a grade
  21. file — a tool
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — to rule out
  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