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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. net — for catching
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pop — music
  6. key — in music
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. present — a gift
  9. net — after costs
  10. rule — government
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. present — the time now
  13. land — a country
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. mark — a grade
  16. present — there
  17. land — ground
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. net — in sport
  21. rule — a law
  22. mark — a trace
  23. pop — soda
  24. land — to come down

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