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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — the time now
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. clip — to cut
  9. fine — all right
  10. staff — employees
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rule — government
  14. deal — to handle
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — for paper
  17. rule — a law
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. present — there

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