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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. scale — size or range
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. spring — of water
  12. sharp — clever
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. present — there
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. present — a gift
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rule — government
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. spring — a coil
  21. present — the time now
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. scale — in music
  24. spring — the season

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