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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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. key — in music
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rule — government
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. rule — a law
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cold — not warm
  13. chip — for betting
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. cold — an illness
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. key — the most important part
  24. fine — all right

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