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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — government
  3. net — after costs
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rule — a law
  7. club — for golf
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — a face
  12. land — a country
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. mug — to rob
  15. land — ground
  16. wound — an injury
  17. club — for dancing
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. club — a group
  20. land — to come down
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — in sport
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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