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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — the time now
  5. tube — a container
  6. pound — a weight
  7. march — music
  8. tube — the underground
  9. cue — for pool
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. cue — a hint
  15. field — farmland
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. present — there
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. cue — a signal
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — for sport
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. tube — in a tire

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