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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rule — a law
  6. game — a match
  7. prune — to trim
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. scale — size or range
  12. wind — moving air
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wind — moving air
  20. suit — clothes
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. stand — to bear
  23. game — wild animals
  24. mouse — the animal

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