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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. staff — a stick
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. swing — in golf
  5. shower — to wash
  6. court — for sport
  7. swing — music
  8. staff — employees
  9. field — a subject
  10. court — of law
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. rule — a law
  15. lean — thin
  16. swing — to play on
  17. field — farmland
  18. suit — to fit
  19. shower — rain
  20. court — of a king
  21. field — for sport
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. lean — to bend
  24. staff — employees

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