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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 124 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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. mark — a grade
  3. prune — to trim
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. staff — employees
  10. deal — to handle
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. prune — to trim
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. branch — a division
  21. mark — a trace
  22. chip — to eat
  23. arm — a part of something
  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