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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. race — the arms race
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. mate — a friend
  8. degree — temperature
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rule — a law
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mate — to breed
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. degree — from a university
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mate — a partner
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — a contest
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. degree — an amount
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. ruler — for measuring

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