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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rule — a law
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. can — a tin
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. stem — to come from
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — in a race
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. can — a tin
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. calf — of the leg

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