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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. cap — a lid
  3. file — a document
  4. pit — in a race
  5. fine — high quality
  6. race — humankind
  7. can — a tin
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rule — a law
  10. can — a tin
  11. content — the amount
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. file — a tool
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. race — a contest
  16. file — a line of people
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. can — to be able to
  19. fine — all right
  20. race — the arms race
  21. content — happy
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cap — a hat
  24. content — videos and posts

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