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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rule — government
  6. firm — a company
  7. file — a line of people
  8. fine — all right
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. file — a tool
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. firm — steady
  14. ball — a dance
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. fine — high quality
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pitch — completely
  19. file — a document
  20. date — the fruit
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. firm — decided
  24. pitch — a sports field

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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