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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rule — government
  3. dip — to sink
  4. track — to keep track
  5. current — happening now
  6. last — finally
  7. field — farmland
  8. mug — a cup
  9. last — final
  10. rule — a law
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. field — for sport
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. track — a song
  17. field — a subject
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mug — to rob
  21. track — a path
  22. last — to go on
  23. mug — a face
  24. dip — a sauce

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