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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. file — a tool
  5. club — for dancing
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. club — for golf
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. current — happening now
  10. file — a document
  11. rule — a law
  12. file — a line of people
  13. current — electric
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. current — of water
  16. rule — government
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. plane — a tool
  19. snap — to click
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. club — a group
  24. deal — to handle

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