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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a face
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. tube — a container
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rule — a law
  12. club — for dancing
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. club — a group
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bound — certain
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — to protest
  21. bound — obliged
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. club — for golf
  24. object — a thing

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