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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. scale — in music
  6. game — a match
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rule — government
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. craft — a skill
  16. scale — size or range
  17. tube — a container
  18. rule — a law
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. tube — the underground
  23. craft — boats
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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