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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. tube — the underground
  4. game — wild animals
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. tube — a container
  17. game — a match
  18. rule — a law
  19. ball — a dance
  20. foot — a measure
  21. ball — a great time
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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