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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 120 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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. stock — shares
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rule — a law
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bulb — for light
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. staff — employees
  15. last — to go on
  16. charge — a price
  17. last — finally
  18. staff — employees
  19. tube — a container
  20. stock — goods
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. staff — a stick
  23. last — final
  24. tube — in a tire

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