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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. present — the time now
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rock — music
  6. net — after costs
  7. object — a thing
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. hand — help
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. kid — to tease
  12. object — to protest
  13. kid — child
  14. rule — a law
  15. present — there
  16. present — a gift
  17. object — an aim
  18. net — for catching
  19. rule — government
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rock — a stone
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. net — in sport

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