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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rule — a law
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — a hat
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. net — after costs
  9. rule — government
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. net — for catching
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bear — the animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. clip — for paper
  18. scale — in music
  19. net — in sport
  20. clip — a video
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cap — of ice

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