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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 120 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. cue — a hint
  3. club — a group
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rule — a law
  8. club — for golf
  9. rock — music
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. ball — a great time
  12. sharp — clever
  13. ball — a dance
  14. row — to paddle
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — to shout
  21. row — a line
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. club — for dancing
  24. sharp — with an edge

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