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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. pop — soda
  3. scale — in music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. pop — to visit
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. root — of a word
  13. cap — of ice
  14. pop — music
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rule — government
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cap — a hat
  19. root — the cause
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. scale — size or range
  22. root — of a plant
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. rule — a law

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