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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. net — in sport
  3. track — a song
  4. net — after costs
  5. pound — a weight
  6. net — for catching
  7. track — a path
  8. mark — a trace
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. mark — a grade
  12. spring — the season
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — a coil
  16. track — to keep track
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. scale — size or range
  21. rule — a law
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. hide — to keep secret

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