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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rule — a law
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. degree — from a university
  9. track — a song
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. drill — the tool
  15. track — to keep track
  16. drill — army training
  17. degree — temperature
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. degree — an amount
  21. track — a path
  22. rule — government
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. drill — a practice

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