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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. suit — to fit
  4. band — a ring
  5. rule — government
  6. suit — in cards
  7. season — of the year
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — in sport
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rule — a law
  13. scale — size or range
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. band — a music group
  22. scale — in music
  23. net — after costs
  24. cell — a phone

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