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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rule — government
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fall — the season
  10. object — to protest
  11. net — after costs
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rule — a law
  17. object — a thing
  18. net — in sport
  19. bark — to shout
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. object — an aim
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. nail — for a hammer

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