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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. net — for catching
  3. ground — the earth
  4. hand — help
  5. net — after costs
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — a law
  8. track — a path
  9. rush — hurry
  10. content — the amount
  11. tube — the underground
  12. hand — in cards
  13. net — in sport
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. track — a song
  16. ground — a position
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. track — to keep track
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. tube — a container
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. ground — crushed
  24. content — happy

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