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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rule — government
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. field — for sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. cell — a phone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. suit — in cards
  13. field — a subject
  14. squash — the sport
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. rule — a law
  18. rock — a stone
  19. field — farmland
  20. rock — music
  21. squash — to crush
  22. suit — clothes
  23. land — ground
  24. suit — to fit

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