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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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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. cap — a lid
  4. rule — a law
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. cap — of ice
  8. track — a song
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bass — the fish
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. track — a path
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bass — low music
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. track — to keep track

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