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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. chip — to eat
  4. mark — a grade
  5. degree — an amount
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. degree — from a university
  8. capital — a city
  9. lean — to bend
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. degree — temperature
  14. capital — money
  15. lean — thin
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rule — a law
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. chip — for betting
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. mark — a trace

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