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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. ground — crushed
  4. sharp — clever
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rule — a law
  7. pop — soda
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. firm — decided
  10. pop — to visit
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. firm — steady
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bound — tied together
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pop — music
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — certain
  20. ground — the earth
  21. firm — a company
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. ground — a position

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