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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. board — a committee
  3. cell — a phone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. board — to get on
  6. rule — a law
  7. scale — size or range
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. scale — in music
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — to wash
  24. pit — in a race

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