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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rest — a break
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. scale — size or range
  6. chair — a leader
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. mate — a friend
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. key — in music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mate — a partner
  14. stock — goods
  15. mate — to breed
  16. key — the most important part
  17. scale — in music
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rule — a law
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. stock — shares
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rest — what's left

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