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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. tear — from crying
  3. scale — in music
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. dip — to sink
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. court — for sport
  9. toast — bread
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rule — government
  12. band — a music group
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. scale — size or range
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. tear — to rip
  19. court — of law
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. court — of a king
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rule — a law
  24. dip — a sauce

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