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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mug — a cup
  3. net — after costs
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rule — government
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rash — hasty
  11. net — in sport
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — to rob
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. spell — a short time
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rule — a law
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. spell — letters
  22. hand — help
  23. spell — magic
  24. rash — a series

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