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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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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: cold · lean · pop · bowl · suit · fine · rule · net

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pop — music
  4. suit — clothes
  5. net — for catching
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. net — in sport
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rule — a law
  10. cold — not warm
  11. pop — soda
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pop — to visit
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. fine — high quality
  16. suit — to fit
  17. fine — all right
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. cold — an illness
  20. net — after costs
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rule — government

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