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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. key — in music
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cap — a lid
  11. key — for a lock
  12. snap — to click
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. key — the most important part
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cap — of ice
  18. mark — a trace
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. content — happy
  21. cap — a hat
  22. content — the amount
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mark — a grade

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