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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. sharp — clever
  4. firm — a company
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. firm — steady
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. swing — in golf
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. firm — decided
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rule — a law
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. present — there

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