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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. last — finally
  4. charge — electricity
  5. hand — help
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. rule — a law
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. perch — the fish
  11. current — electric
  12. charge — in control
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. charge — a price
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. last — final
  22. hand — in cards
  23. last — to go on
  24. perch — for a bird

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