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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. mark — a trace
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — clothes
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rush — hurry
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. object — to protest
  18. rule — a law
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. object — an aim
  21. deal — to handle
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. object — a thing

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