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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. court — of law
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. march — the month
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. court — for sport
  15. march — the month
  16. toast — bread
  17. chip — for betting
  18. march — music
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. chip — to eat
  21. court — of a king
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — a law
  24. stem — to come from

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