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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. object — a thing
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rule — a law
  5. object — an aim
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bore — to drill
  9. object — to protest
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. date — the fruit
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bore — to tire
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. jam — to spread on bread

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