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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. suit — clothes
  3. degree — temperature
  4. game — wild animals
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bass — the fish
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rule — a law
  9. suit — in cards
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bass — low music
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. hand — in cards
  14. game — a match
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. content — happy
  17. rule — government
  18. content — the amount
  19. hand — help
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. degree — from a university
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. degree — an amount
  24. game — a kind of play

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