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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. cue — for pool
  3. rule — a law
  4. staff — employees
  5. cue — a hint
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. last — finally
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. rule — government
  15. staff — employees
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cue — a signal
  18. last — final
  19. staff — a stick
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rock — music
  24. ball — a round shape

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