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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · wind · fine · present · content · kick

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rule — government
  3. kick — in football
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. present — there
  6. content — the amount
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wind — moving air
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — happy
  13. rule — a law
  14. fine — all right
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now

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