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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. object — to protest
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. object — an aim
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. object — a thing
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. race — a contest
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pit — a hole
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. race — the arms race
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. race — humankind
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. mine — for digging
  24. rule — a law

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