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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. present — the time now
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — to visit
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. season — of the year
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. pop — music
  14. present — there
  15. rash — a series
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rule — a law
  18. present — a gift
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. season — in sport
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rash — hasty
  24. chip — in a computer

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