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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. court — of a king
  3. object — to protest
  4. cold — not warm
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. last — finally
  7. key — for a lock
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. key — the most important part
  10. court — for sport
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — an aim
  14. last — final
  15. last — to go on
  16. court — of law
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. key — in music
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — government
  23. board — a committee
  24. hide — to keep secret

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