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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. fine — all right
  4. club — a group
  5. fine — high quality
  6. rule — a law
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. land — a country
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rule — government
  13. club — for golf
  14. land — to come down
  15. cap — a lid
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. club — for dancing
  19. date — the fruit
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cap — a hat
  22. press — to push
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bowl — to roll

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