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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. scale — size or range
  3. mate — a partner
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. scale — in music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rule — a law
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bark — to shout
  15. band — a ring
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. band — a music group
  19. rule — government
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. rush — hurry
  24. mate — to breed

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