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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. charge — a price
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bank — for money
  7. field — a subject
  8. cap — a lid
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. season — of the year
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bank — of a river
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rule — a law
  18. cap — a hat
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. charge — in control
  21. cap — of ice
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bank — for money
  24. season — in sport

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