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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. spell — a short time
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. firm — a company
  7. object — an aim
  8. spell — letters
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rule — government
  13. object — a thing
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. firm — steady
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. object — to protest
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. spell — magic
  20. mine — for digging
  21. firm — decided
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. mine — an explosive

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