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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: pop · rule · hide · clip · nail · spring · net · ball

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — a law
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — in sport
  5. spring — a coil
  6. ball — a dance
  7. net — for catching
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pop — music
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — of water
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pop — to visit
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rule — government
  19. clip — for paper
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. clip — a video
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. clip — to cut
  24. pop — soda

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