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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. rule — a law
  4. stand — to bear
  5. craft — boats
  6. scale — size or range
  7. rule — government
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. craft — a skill
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. toast — bread
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. swing — in golf
  18. object — an aim
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. swing — music
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — to protest
  24. swing — to play on

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