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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. staff — employees
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rule — government
  5. track — to keep track
  6. degree — from a university
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. track — a path
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. vault — a safe
  11. content — the amount
  12. staff — a stick
  13. content — happy
  14. mug — a cup
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. rule — a law
  18. degree — temperature
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. track — a song
  21. staff — employees
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. degree — an amount

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