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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. clip — for paper
  5. swing — in golf
  6. track — a path
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. scale — in music
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. track — a song
  13. rule — a law
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rule — government
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — to cut
  21. track — to keep track
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — to play on

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