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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — a country
  3. race — a contest
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. dip — to sink
  8. club — a group
  9. race — humankind
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rule — a law
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. ball — a great time
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. club — for dancing
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. race — the arms race
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rule — government
  21. land — ground
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. club — for golf

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