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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rule — a law
  6. track — a path
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fine — all right
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. rule — government
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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