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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rule — government
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. net — for catching
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. rash — a series
  9. net — in sport
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bound — certain
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. hand — in cards
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rule — a law
  17. net — after costs
  18. foot — a measure
  19. hand — help
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bound — obliged
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bound — tied together

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