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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 124 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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. foot — a measure
  3. ground — crushed
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. squash — the sport
  7. charge — in control
  8. squash — to crush
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. charge — electricity
  11. season — of the year
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. ground — a position
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. charge — a price
  17. season — in sport
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. ground — the earth
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rule — a law
  24. season — to add flavour

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