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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. current — happening now
  4. march — the month
  5. track — to keep track
  6. cold — not warm
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. current — electric
  9. firm — steady
  10. march — the month
  11. track — a song
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. firm — a company
  14. march — music
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. firm — decided
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. rule — a law
  21. cold — an illness
  22. rule — government
  23. current — of water
  24. track — a path

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