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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. season — of the year
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rule — a law
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. foot — a measure
  15. mark — a trace
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. fork — in a road
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mark — a grade
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. foot — the bottom

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