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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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. track — to keep track
  4. game — a match
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rule — a law
  7. squash — to crush
  8. track — a path
  9. squash — the sport
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — an aim
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. track — a song
  16. bat — the animal
  17. scale — in music
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. rush — hurry
  20. object — a thing
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. rush — to hurry

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