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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. net — after costs
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rule — a law
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. scale — in music
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. net — in sport
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. pitch — completely
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. vault — a safe
  22. net — for catching
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. rule — government

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