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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. ground — a position
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. degree — an amount
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. degree — from a university
  7. rule — government
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. game — a match
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rule — a law
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. charge — electricity
  14. ground — crushed
  15. charge — in control
  16. ground — the earth
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. degree — temperature
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. charge — a price
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — a safe
  24. calf — of the leg

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