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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rule — government
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. wound — an injury
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pound — a weight
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. cue — a hint
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rule — a law
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mine — an explosive

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