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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — a law
  5. cell — in biology
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. track — a song
  9. season — of the year
  10. rule — government
  11. current — electric
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. track — a path
  15. cell — a phone
  16. track — to keep track
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. mark — a trace
  19. drill — army training
  20. season — in sport
  21. current — of water
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cap — a hat
  24. current — happening now

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