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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. pound — a weight
  6. present — there
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bound — obliged
  10. prune — to trim
  11. present — a gift
  12. key — in music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. vault — a safe
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. present — the time now

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