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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. march — music
  6. rule — government
  7. land — a country
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. rule — a law
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. land — to come down
  17. march — the month
  18. land — ground
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — an agreement

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