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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. row — to paddle
  5. clip — for paper
  6. fork — in a road
  7. clip — to cut
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rest — a break
  16. rule — government
  17. scale — size or range
  18. row — a line
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. rest — what's left
  21. clip — a video
  22. rule — a law
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. row — a quarrel

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