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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. rule — a law
  4. firm — decided
  5. bore — to tire
  6. spring — of water
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rule — government
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. spring — the season
  12. prune — to trim
  13. chip — for betting
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — steady
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. chip — to eat
  23. prune — to trim
  24. spring — a coil

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