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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. degree — from a university
  3. rule — government
  4. scale — size or range
  5. degree — temperature
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. fine — high quality
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rule — a law
  12. scale — in music
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fall — the season
  19. lie — to recline
  20. degree — an amount
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. fine — all right
  24. capital — a city

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