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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 116 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rock — music
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mark — a trace
  7. rule — a law
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. band — a ring
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — for sport
  12. row — a line
  13. row — to paddle
  14. rule — government
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. field — a subject
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a music group
  21. mark — a grade
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. rock — a stone

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