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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. scale — in music
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. branch — a division
  5. scale — size or range
  6. stand — to bear
  7. fine — all right
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. rule — a law
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. fine — high quality
  14. march — the month
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. cell — in biology
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rule — government
  21. march — the month
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. march — music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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