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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. firm — a company
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cold — an illness
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cold — not warm
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bound — certain
  14. rock — a stone
  15. firm — decided
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. club — for golf
  18. rock — music
  19. track — a path
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. rule — government
  22. bound — obliged
  23. tear — from crying
  24. firm — steady

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