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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. tube — a container
  3. rule — a law
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. scale — in music
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. scale — size or range
  16. tube — the underground
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. rule — government

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