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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · track · deal · rule · land · charge · tube · race

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rule — a law
  4. track — a song
  5. land — ground
  6. tube — a container
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — electricity
  9. race — humankind
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. charge — a price
  12. track — a path
  13. land — to come down
  14. track — to keep track
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. race — a contest
  18. tube — the underground
  19. land — a country
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. race — the arms race
  24. deal — an agreement

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