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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. branch — a division
  3. cell — in biology
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. club — for golf
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. club — a group
  8. rule — a law
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. scale — size or range
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. row — to paddle
  15. cell — a phone
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. rule — government
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. club — for dancing
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. row — a line
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. rule — to rule out

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