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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. kid — to tease
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rule — government
  10. rest — a break
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. mark — a trace
  14. club — for golf
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rest — what's left
  18. squash — the sport
  19. club — for dancing
  20. squash — to crush
  21. mate — a partner
  22. kid — child
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mate — a friend

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