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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 120 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. rule — a law
  3. scale — in music
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. net — in sport
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. spell — letters
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. saw — the tool
  13. spell — magic
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rule — government
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — after costs
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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