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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: chair · fine · dip · rule · stand · capital · fork · rock

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stand — to bear
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. fine — high quality
  5. rock — music
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rule — a law
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fork — in a road
  17. dip — to sink
  18. capital — money
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — a city
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. stand — for spectators

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