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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. tube — a container
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. club — for golf
  7. rule — government
  8. foot — a measure
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. wind — moving air
  12. board — to get on
  13. net — in sport
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. tube — the underground
  17. net — for catching
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. club — for dancing
  21. wind — moving air
  22. net — after costs
  23. rule — a law
  24. club — a group

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