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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — a law
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. key — in music
  6. field — farmland
  7. bass — low music
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. club — for golf
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bass — the fish
  21. club — a group
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. key — the most important part

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