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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rock — music
  6. game — wild animals
  7. charge — in control
  8. row — to paddle
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. game — a match
  11. charge — a price
  12. tube — a container
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. row — a line
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rule — government
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rock — a stone
  24. charge — electricity

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