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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. rule — to rule out
  2. cap — of ice
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. craft — boats
  8. foot — a measure
  9. swing — in golf
  10. rule — a law
  11. cap — a hat
  12. net — after costs
  13. wake — a trail
  14. current — happening now
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. rule — government
  17. craft — a skill
  18. current — electric
  19. cap — a lid
  20. current — of water
  21. net — in sport
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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