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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mark — a trace
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. degree — an amount
  6. land — a country
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. current — of water
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. land — to come down
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. foot — a measure
  16. land — ground
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. current — happening now
  19. degree — temperature
  20. degree — from a university
  21. toast — bread
  22. current — electric
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mark — a grade

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