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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. fine — high quality
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. fine — all right
  7. scale — in music
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cold — not warm
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — a law
  14. bear — the animal
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mark — a grade
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. cold — an illness

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