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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rule — government
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ground — crushed
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. kick — in football
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rule — a law
  14. field — a subject
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. ground — a position
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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