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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. land — a country
  5. current — happening now
  6. mate — to breed
  7. charge — electricity
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. current — electric
  10. mate — a friend
  11. ground — the earth
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rule — a law
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — the amount
  16. ground — crushed
  17. land — to come down
  18. charge — a price
  19. current — of water
  20. ground — a position
  21. branch — a division
  22. content — happy
  23. charge — in control
  24. land — ground

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