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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rule — government
  4. mate — to breed
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. firm — decided
  7. cue — a hint
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. spring — of water
  11. mate — a partner
  12. cue — a signal
  13. squash — the sport
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. mate — a friend
  17. firm — steady
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. squash — to crush
  21. rule — a law
  22. chair — a leader
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. cue — for pool

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