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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rule — government
  3. ball — a great time
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rule — a law
  8. mug — a face
  9. scale — in music
  10. kick — in football
  11. suit — to fit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. scale — size or range
  17. ball — a dance
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mug — to rob
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rush — a thrill

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