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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 120 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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. club — for dancing
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a match
  6. fork — in a road
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. suit — to fit
  9. rule — government
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. present — the time now
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. club — a group
  14. present — a gift
  15. suit — in cards
  16. scale — size or range
  17. suit — clothes
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. club — for golf
  21. rule — a law
  22. present — there
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. fork — a garden tool

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