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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. charge — in control
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rule — government
  8. fine — all right
  9. field — for sport
  10. chip — for betting
  11. fine — high quality
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rule — a law
  17. charge — electricity
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. charge — a price

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