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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rock — music
  6. current — happening now
  7. land — a country
  8. deal — to handle
  9. current — of water
  10. land — to come down
  11. current — electric
  12. suit — in cards
  13. rock — a stone
  14. suit — to fit
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. rule — a law
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. suit — clothes
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. row — to paddle
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. land — ground
  23. row — a line
  24. fork — a garden tool

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