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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. mark — a trace
  3. lean — thin
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. board — to get on
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. lean — to bend
  10. rule — a law
  11. board — a committee
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. field — a subject
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. field — for sport
  21. track — a song
  22. mark — a grade
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. field — farmland

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