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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fork — in a road
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. degree — an amount
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mark — a grade
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pop — to visit
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rule — a law
  20. degree — from a university
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mark — a trace
  24. fork — a garden tool

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