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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. spell — letters
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. firm — a company
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pop — music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. firm — steady
  14. spell — magic
  15. scale — in music
  16. row — a line
  17. scale — size or range
  18. row — to paddle
  19. firm — decided
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pop — soda
  22. rule — a law
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rule — to rule out

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