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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. game — a match
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. stand — to bear
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. tear — from crying
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. chip — to eat
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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