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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ground — crushed
  5. wound — an injury
  6. ground — a position
  7. current — electric
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. roll — a list
  10. current — of water
  11. roll — a cake
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rule — government
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. stand — to bear
  17. wound — an injury
  18. season — of the year
  19. current — happening now
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rule — a law
  24. ground — the earth

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