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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. race — humankind
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. land — ground
  5. object — to protest
  6. staff — employees
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — money
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. rule — government
  12. staff — a stick
  13. capital — a city
  14. spell — letters
  15. object — a thing
  16. rule — a law
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. spell — a short time
  19. race — the arms race
  20. staff — employees
  21. object — an aim
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. spell — magic
  24. race — a contest

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