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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 116 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. deal — to handle
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — government
  6. bank — for money
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. scale — in music
  11. bank — for money
  12. pit — a hole
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cold — not warm
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bank — of a river
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. cold — an illness
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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