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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. shower — to wash
  4. land — a country
  5. club — for dancing
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. stand — to bear
  8. saw — the tool
  9. land — ground
  10. shower — rain
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. club — for golf
  13. pit — a hole
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. rule — a law
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rule — government
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. club — a group
  21. pit — in a race
  22. land — to come down
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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