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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. cap — of ice
  3. season — in sport
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cap — a lid
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. season — of the year
  15. scale — size or range
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rule — a law
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fork — in a road
  21. scale — in music
  22. vault — a safe
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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