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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. scale — size or range
  3. row — to paddle
  4. scale — in music
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pit — in a race
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — a phone
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. row — a line
  17. rule — government
  18. bass — low music
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rule — a law

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