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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — temperature
  4. craft — a skill
  5. land — ground
  6. craft — boats
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. fine — all right
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. vault — a safe
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rule — a law
  18. land — to come down
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. land — a country
  22. degree — an amount
  23. fine — high quality
  24. ruler — for measuring

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