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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's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. saw — the tool
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — a cake
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. court — for sport
  7. pop — to visit
  8. court — of law
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. rule — a law
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. row — a line
  13. row — to paddle
  14. can — to be able to
  15. pop — music
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. court — of a king
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pop — soda
  24. coach — a trainer

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