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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. object — to protest
  3. scale — size or range
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. scale — in music
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. race — the arms race
  8. object — an aim
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rule — a law
  11. mate — a partner
  12. race — humankind
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. can — a tin
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. can — a tin
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bear — the animal
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. object — a thing
  21. rule — government
  22. can — to be able to
  23. mate — a friend
  24. race — a contest

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