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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 116 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. drill — army training
  7. land — a country
  8. scale — in music
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. can — a tin
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. land — ground
  13. drill — a practice
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rash — a series
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rash — hasty
  21. scale — size or range
  22. can — a tin
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. land — to come down

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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