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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 116 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cap — of ice
  10. spell — letters
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mate — a friend
  13. spell — magic
  14. cap — a lid
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. spell — a short time
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rule — a law
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. cap — a hat

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