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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pop — soda
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pop — music
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. stem — to come from
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rule — a law
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. band — a music group
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pop — to visit

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