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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 · net · cabinet · club · leaves · rule · bear · ground

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rule — government
  3. net — in sport
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. club — for golf
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. club — a group
  10. rule — a law
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pop — music
  14. net — for catching
  15. club — for dancing
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. net — after costs
  19. ground — a position
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bear — the animal

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