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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. squash — to crush
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rest — what's left
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rule — government
  8. branch — a division
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rule — a law
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. scale — in music
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. squash — the sport
  17. band — a music group
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fork — in a road
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. band — a ring
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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