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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. present — the time now
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mark — a trace
  10. present — a gift
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — a law
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. rule — government
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rock — a stone
  19. branch — a division
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. rock — music
  23. present — there
  24. kid — to tease

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