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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. clip — for paper
  4. rule — government
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. clip — to cut
  13. rule — a law
  14. mate — to breed
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — the sport
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. clip — a video
  19. mate — a friend
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. rock — music
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. squash — to crush

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