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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. drill — the tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. scale — in music
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — a law
  9. drill — a practice
  10. last — final
  11. pound — a weight
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. drill — army training
  23. last — finally
  24. rule — to rule out

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