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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 120 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rule — government
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. rule — a law
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. net — for catching
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. rest — a break

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