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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. craft — a skill
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. rule — government
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. scale — in music
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. craft — boats
  15. rest — what's left
  16. scale — size or range
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. board — a committee
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  24. leaves — lets stay

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