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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 124 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rush — hurry
  4. clip — for paper
  5. date — the fruit
  6. clip — to cut
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. board — to get on
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. board — a committee
  12. rule — government
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. saw — the tool
  15. game — wild animals
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. clip — a video
  19. rule — a law
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. game — a match
  24. date — on the calendar

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