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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 120 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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. land — to come down
  4. tube — a container
  5. club — a group
  6. rule — a law
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. land — ground
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rule — government
  11. tube — the underground
  12. club — for golf
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. march — the month
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pass — a permit
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. march — music
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. land — a country
  23. march — the month
  24. cabinet — ministers

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