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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 124 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rest — a break
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. march — the month
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. club — a group
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cue — a signal
  11. scale — size or range
  12. club — for dancing
  13. march — the month
  14. rule — government
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rock — music
  20. club — for golf
  21. scale — in music
  22. march — music
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — for pool

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