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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — government
  3. land — ground
  4. season — in sport
  5. tube — the underground
  6. land — a country
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. charge — a price
  12. mate — a partner
  13. season — of the year
  14. mate — a friend
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. tube — a container
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. rule — a law
  22. mate — to breed
  23. land — to come down
  24. pitcher — a jug

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