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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. drill — the tool
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. chair — a leader
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. drill — army training
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. scale — in music
  11. rule — government
  12. drill — a practice
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. land — a country
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. dip — to sink
  18. land — to come down
  19. scale — size or range
  20. land — ground
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rule — to rule out

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