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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. cue — a hint
  3. pass — a permit
  4. can — to be able to
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rule — a law
  7. roll — a list
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. can — a tin
  12. track — to keep track
  13. wound — an injury
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. cue — for pool
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. can — a tin
  21. track — a path
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. track — a song

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