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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mate — a friend
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. ground — crushed
  7. rule — a law
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. sharp — clever
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. ground — the earth
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pit — in a race
  19. mate — a partner
  20. ground — a position
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pit — a hole

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