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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 120 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. cue — a hint
  3. kid — child
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. charge — in control
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rule — a law
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rock — music
  18. cue — for pool
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cue — a signal
  21. rock — a stone
  22. charge — a price
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. kid — to tease

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