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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. cue — for pool
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. tube — the underground
  7. march — the month
  8. bark — to shout
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cue — a hint
  11. rule — a law
  12. march — the month
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. cue — a signal
  16. kick — in football
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mark — a grade
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. march — music
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. tube — a container

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