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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. suit — clothes
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. last — final
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — for sport
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. suit — in cards
  10. spring — of water
  11. field — farmland
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. last — finally
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. last — to go on
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — the season
  19. rule — a law
  20. ball — a dance
  21. dip — to sink
  22. ball — a great time
  23. suit — to fit
  24. rule — government

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