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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 very handy with a ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. club — for dancing
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — a law
  6. rash — hasty
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bound — certain
  12. race — humankind
  13. rash — a series
  14. club — a group
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bound — tied together
  18. club — for golf
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. saw — the tool
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bound — obliged
  24. race — a contest

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