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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 120 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. capital — money
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. mate — a friend
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. capital — a city
  15. scale — size or range
  16. mate — to breed
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. scale — in music
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. mouse — the animal

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