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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. capital — money
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. spring — a coil
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. spring — of water
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — a law
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. track — a path
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bound — obliged
  15. chip — to eat
  16. lie — to recline
  17. capital — a city
  18. spring — the season
  19. track — to keep track
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. chip — for betting

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