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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. charge — in control
  3. land — a country
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. land — ground
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. degree — temperature
  13. wind — moving air
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. land — to come down
  16. mark — a grade
  17. charge — electricity
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — an amount
  21. charge — a price
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rule — a law
  24. coach — a trainer

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