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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — a law
  4. kick — in football
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rule — government
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. cue — for pool
  10. staff — employees
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. staff — employees
  13. current — electric
  14. drill — a practice
  15. staff — a stick
  16. pitch — completely
  17. current — happening now
  18. drill — army training
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. drill — the tool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. band — a ring
  24. current — of water

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