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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — a law
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bass — low music
  12. fine — all right
  13. bass — the fish
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. fine — high quality

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