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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. tube — the underground
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. toast — bread
  8. spell — letters
  9. rule — a law
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. spell — magic
  12. firm — a company
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. rule — government
  15. firm — steady
  16. tube — a container
  17. firm — decided
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. tube — in a tire

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