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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. capital — money
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. rule — government
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cell — in biology
  14. pound — a weight
  15. snap — to click
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. tear — to rip
  18. capital — a city
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. rule — a law
  24. scale — in music

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