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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. chip — for betting
  3. branch — a division
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. rest — a break
  9. bank — of a river
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bank — for money
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fine — all right
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rule — a law
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a line
  21. chip — to eat
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bank — for money
  24. fine — high quality

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