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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. file — a document
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. pit — in a race
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. file — a line of people
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. rule — government
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pit — a hole
  22. rule — a law
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. file — a tool

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