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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. cue — a signal
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. chip — to eat
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. field — a subject
  12. rule — government
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. saw — the tool
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rule — a law
  17. cue — a hint
  18. chip — for betting
  19. field — for sport
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. field — farmland
  22. rush — hurry
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cue — for pool

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