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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. chip — to eat
  5. last — to go on
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. last — finally
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rule — a law
  12. bark — to shout
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. board — to get on
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. last — final
  20. rash — a series
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — a committee
  24. rash — on the skin

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