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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. swing — in golf
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. ground — a position
  6. tube — the underground
  7. swing — to play on
  8. capital — money
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. ground — the earth
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. swing — music
  14. capital — a city
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. tube — a container
  18. ground — crushed
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. rule — a law
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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