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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pitch — completely
  4. tear — from crying
  5. content — the amount
  6. scale — in music
  7. rule — a law
  8. scale — size or range
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. content — happy
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. lean — thin
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. chair — a leader
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. tear — from crying

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