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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cap — a lid
  6. plane — a tool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rule — a law
  15. club — for dancing
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cap — of ice
  18. club — for golf
  19. rule — government
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. club — a group

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