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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: net · rule · fine · present · mate · dip · staff · bat

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. mate — a partner
  3. present — there
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. dip — to sink
  6. present — the time now
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. net — for catching
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. fine — all right
  12. present — a gift
  13. staff — employees
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. staff — a stick
  17. net — after costs
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mate — a friend
  21. staff — employees
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bat — the animal
  24. net — in sport

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