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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. current — happening now
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. fall — to drop
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. current — electric
  11. march — music
  12. fall — the season
  13. stock — shares
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. season — in sport
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. current — of water
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. wake — a trail
  22. stock — goods
  23. season — of the year
  24. rule — a law

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