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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mug — a cup
  5. net — in sport
  6. rule — government
  7. track — to keep track
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. cue — a hint
  10. net — after costs
  11. track — a song
  12. spring — of water
  13. cue — for pool
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. spring — a coil
  16. track — a path
  17. pop — music
  18. mug — a face
  19. pop — soda
  20. net — for catching
  21. cue — a signal
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  24. spring — the season

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