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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. fall — to drop
  6. season — in sport
  7. pop — music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. drill — the tool
  10. swing — in golf
  11. chair — a leader
  12. pit — a hole
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. drill — a practice
  17. swing — to play on
  18. drill — army training
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. fall — the season
  21. rule — a law
  22. swing — music
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. pop — soda

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