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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rule — government
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. band — a ring
  6. cap — a lid
  7. key — the most important part
  8. board — a committee
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rule — a law
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. key — in music
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. key — for a lock
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. scale — size or range
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. band — a music group
  24. rule — to rule out

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