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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. court — of law
  3. current — electric
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rule — a law
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. court — of a king
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. current — happening now
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bulb — for light
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. court — for sport
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. plane — a tool
  22. current — of water
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. stand — to bear

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