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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rule — government
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. root — of a word
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rule — a law
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. can — to be able to
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. can — a tin
  14. toast — bread
  15. mine — for digging
  16. deal — to handle
  17. march — the month
  18. root — of a plant
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. can — a tin
  22. scale — size or range
  23. root — the cause
  24. scale — in music

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