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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. field — for sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rule — a law
  6. drill — army training
  7. object — a thing
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. squash — to crush
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bark — to shout
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mark — a grade
  16. field — farmland
  17. squash — the sport
  18. mark — a trace
  19. object — an aim
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. drill — a practice
  22. field — a subject
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. object — to protest

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