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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rock — music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rule — government
  5. track — a path
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. object — a thing
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. object — an aim
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bulb — for light
  21. court — of a king
  22. object — to protest
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bulb — of a plant

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