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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. land — to come down
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rule — government
  6. cue — a hint
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. drill — army training
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cue — for pool
  12. drill — the tool
  13. club — for dancing
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. rule — a law
  17. ground — a position
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. drill — a practice
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — a group
  24. cue — a signal

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