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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. date — the fruit
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. row — to paddle
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. present — the time now
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. row — a line
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. chest — of your body
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rule — a law
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. chest — a box
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pound — a weight
  24. ball — a dance

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