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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — a law
  5. pitch — completely
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. hand — in cards
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. land — a country
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. hand — help
  18. vault — a safe
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. land — to come down
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. toast — bread

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