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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — a law
  3. charge — electricity
  4. squash — to crush
  5. club — a group
  6. current — electric
  7. club — for dancing
  8. key — the most important part
  9. current — of water
  10. key — in music
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bat — the animal
  13. charge — a price
  14. club — for golf
  15. charge — in control
  16. current — happening now
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. wind — moving air
  19. squash — the sport
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. key — for a lock
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bat — in an idiom

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