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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. land — a country
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rule — a law
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rule — government
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pop — soda
  13. march — the month
  14. land — ground
  15. march — the month
  16. pop — music
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. march — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. land — to come down
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rock — music
  24. mine — for digging

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