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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. chip — for betting
  5. root — of a word
  6. cap — a lid
  7. root — the cause
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — the arms race
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. field — farmland
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. cap — of ice
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rule — a law
  17. cap — a hat
  18. field — a subject
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. root — of a plant
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. field — for sport
  24. race — a contest

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