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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 116 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. ground — a position
  3. rash — a series
  4. rule — government
  5. suit — in cards
  6. drill — army training
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. ground — the earth
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. suit — clothes
  13. ground — crushed
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rule — a law
  20. suit — to fit
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. net — for catching
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bowl — a football final

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