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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. can — a tin
  4. staff — employees
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. can — to be able to
  7. row — to paddle
  8. charge — electricity
  9. staff — a stick
  10. pop — to visit
  11. can — a tin
  12. charge — in control
  13. staff — employees
  14. charge — a price
  15. rule — a law
  16. capital — a city
  17. pop — music
  18. capital — money
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. row — a line
  21. pop — soda
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. capital — a big letter

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