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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. march — the month
  3. bulb — for light
  4. race — a contest
  5. foot — a measure
  6. rule — a law
  7. race — humankind
  8. bulb — for light
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. charge — in control
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. march — the month
  13. charge — electricity
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. charge — a price
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. march — music
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. race — the arms race
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. date — the fruit
  24. bulb — of a plant

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