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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. mug — a face
  4. root — the cause
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cue — for pool
  7. scale — in music
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. scale — size or range
  11. cue — a signal
  12. kid — child
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. root — of a word
  16. kid — to tease
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rule — a law
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. cue — a hint
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. root — of a plant
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. mug — a cup

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