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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rule — government
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. kid — to tease
  6. season — of the year
  7. kick — in football
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. current — happening now
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. present — there
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. current — of water
  16. rock — a stone
  17. current — electric
  18. kid — child
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. present — a gift
  21. sharp — clever
  22. present — the time now
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. sharp — exactly

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