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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. club — for golf
  3. rule — government
  4. club — a group
  5. fine — high quality
  6. rash — a series
  7. firm — steady
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. chip — to eat
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rule — a law
  13. ground — crushed
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. drill — a practice
  16. chip — for betting
  17. ground — a position
  18. club — for dancing
  19. drill — the tool
  20. rash — hasty
  21. ground — the earth
  22. fine — all right
  23. drill — army training
  24. firm — decided

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