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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 120 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pop — music
  3. pit — in a race
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. stock — goods
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. last — to go on
  8. stock — shares
  9. game — a match
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. last — final
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. foot — a measure
  18. pop — soda
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rule — a law
  24. last — finally

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