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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. track — a song
  8. pit — a hole
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pit — in a race
  12. chair — a leader
  13. mate — a friend
  14. track — a path
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. mate — to breed
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. rule — a law
  21. march — the month
  22. pitch — completely
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mate — a partner

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