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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. ball — a great time
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. board — to get on
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. land — a country
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pitch — completely
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ball — a dance
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. board — a committee
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. land — ground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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