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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. charge — a price
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. charge — electricity
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. land — ground
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. land — to come down
  11. can — a tin
  12. date — the fruit
  13. can — to be able to
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rash — a series
  18. mark — a trace
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rule — a law
  21. can — a tin
  22. land — a country
  23. charge — in control
  24. mark — a grade

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