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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — a law
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. suit — to fit
  6. scale — in music
  7. cap — of ice
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. wind — moving air
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cap — a lid
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. last — finally
  16. scale — size or range
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. last — final
  19. last — to go on
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. cap — a hat
  24. suit — in cards

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