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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. firm — decided
  5. pass — a permit
  6. file — a document
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rule — a law
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. ground — the earth
  11. pound — a weight
  12. firm — a company
  13. file — a tool
  14. ground — a position
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rule — government
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. chair — a leader
  19. firm — steady
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. ground — crushed
  22. wind — moving air
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wind — to turn a key

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