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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. degree — an amount
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. snap — to click
  10. firm — decided
  11. rule — government
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pop — music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bark — to shout
  16. rule — a law
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. firm — a company
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mate — a friend
  23. firm — steady
  24. degree — from a university

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