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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. rule — government
  3. firm — steady
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. last — to go on
  8. content — the amount
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. firm — decided
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — the animal
  16. firm — a company
  17. rule — a law
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. last — finally
  20. content — happy
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. deal — to handle
  24. last — final

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