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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. present — there
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. present — a gift
  11. cap — of ice
  12. present — the time now
  13. fine — high quality
  14. net — for catching
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. net — in sport
  17. march — the month
  18. cap — a hat
  19. net — after costs
  20. fine — all right
  21. rule — a law
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chair — a leader

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