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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. cue — for pool
  3. rule — government
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rest — what's left
  12. present — a gift
  13. wind — moving air
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. file — a line of people
  16. deal — to handle
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. file — a tool
  19. rest — a break
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. cue — a hint
  23. file — a document
  24. rule — a law

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