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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stock — goods
  3. track — a path
  4. present — the time now
  5. cap — of ice
  6. track — a song
  7. cap — a lid
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. present — a gift
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. kick — in football
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. cap — a hat
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. stock — shares
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rule — a law
  20. wound — an injury
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. present — there
  23. wound — an injury
  24. kick — with a leg

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