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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. rule — government
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rash — hasty
  7. chip — for betting
  8. rule — a law
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. charge — in control
  13. key — for a lock
  14. firm — a company
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. firm — decided
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. rash — a series

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