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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — a law
  4. row — a line
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. track — a path
  7. rule — government
  8. present — the time now
  9. track — a song
  10. row — to paddle
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. land — a country
  17. present — there
  18. court — of law
  19. land — ground
  20. court — of a king
  21. lie — to recline
  22. track — to keep track
  23. court — for sport
  24. present — a gift

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