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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. craft — boats
  4. spell — magic
  5. rule — government
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. spell — a short time
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. spell — letters
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. club — a group
  16. rule — a law
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cell — in biology
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. cell — a phone
  24. club — for golf

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