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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. rule — government
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. current — happening now
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rule — a law
  10. game — a match
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. current — of water
  13. can — a tin
  14. dip — to sink
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. current — electric
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. mark — a grade
  21. season — of the year
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. season — in sport
  24. game — wild animals

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