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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. land — a country
  3. pit — in a race
  4. saw — the tool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pit — a hole
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ground — crushed
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. ground — a position
  16. rule — government
  17. mine — for digging
  18. ground — the earth
  19. rule — a law
  20. land — ground
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. land — to come down
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bowl — a football final

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