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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. march — the month
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. rule — government
  7. march — the month
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. roll — a list
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. rule — a law
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. chair — a leader
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. roll — a cake
  18. file — a document
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. march — music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. scale — size or range

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