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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 120 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. rule — government
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. pitch — completely
  10. current — happening now
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. game — a match
  16. tear — from crying
  17. current — electric
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. rule — a law
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. tear — from crying
  23. current — of water
  24. fan — a supporter

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