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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. rule — a law
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. land — to come down
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. capital — a city
  10. land — ground
  11. march — the month
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rule — government
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. land — a country
  22. suit — in cards
  23. chair — a leader
  24. safe — out of danger

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