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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. ground — crushed
  3. roll — a list
  4. pop — to visit
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pop — music
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. rule — a law
  9. pit — in a race
  10. ground — a position
  11. pop — soda
  12. pit — a hole
  13. branch — a division
  14. roll — a cake
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. temple — side of the head

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