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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. object — a thing
  5. rule — government
  6. scale — size or range
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. rule — a law
  10. rash — a series
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. present — the time now
  14. object — an aim
  15. scale — in music
  16. object — to protest
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bowl — a football final

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