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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. net — in sport
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. board — a committee
  9. content — the amount
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pitch — completely
  14. content — happy
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rule — government
  17. shower — rain
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. shower — to wash
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. board — to get on
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. rule — a law

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