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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. land — a country
  4. rule — government
  5. roll — a list
  6. sharp — clever
  7. key — the most important part
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. board — a committee
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. last — finally
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. rule — a law
  18. roll — a cake
  19. last — final
  20. key — for a lock
  21. land — ground
  22. last — to go on
  23. key — in music
  24. jam — in traffic

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