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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. rule — government
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bound — obliged
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bound — certain
  8. scale — size or range
  9. track — a song
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cap — a lid
  18. track — to keep track
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. cap — of ice
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. cap — a hat
  23. rule — a law
  24. track — a path

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