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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. sharp — clever
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. plane — a tool
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. court — of a king
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. court — for sport
  16. date — the fruit
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. court — of law
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. net — after costs
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. sharp — with an edge

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