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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. prune — to trim
  4. land — ground
  5. row — to paddle
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. land — to come down
  9. charge — a price
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rule — government
  12. row — a line
  13. rule — a law
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. charge — in control
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. charge — electricity
  20. prune — to trim
  21. land — a country
  22. stand — to bear
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. saw — the tool

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