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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bank — for money
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bank — for money
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. vault — a safe
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bank — of a river
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. key — for a lock
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rule — government
  19. scale — in music
  20. key — in music
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. prune — to trim

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