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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rule — a law
  4. saw — the tool
  5. kick — in football
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. saw — the tool
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — there
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. staff — employees
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. present — the time now
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pop — soda
  19. staff — employees
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. game — a match

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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