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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wind — moving air
  5. net — after costs
  6. scale — size or range
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. ball — a great time
  10. swing — to play on
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. swing — in golf
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. swing — music
  20. net — in sport
  21. scale — in music
  22. wind — moving air
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. net — for catching

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