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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 116 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. rule — a law
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. staff — employees
  5. season — of the year
  6. squash — the sport
  7. cap — of ice
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. season — in sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. scale — size or range
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rule — government
  16. staff — employees
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cap — a lid
  19. stock — shares
  20. perch — the fish
  21. staff — a stick
  22. cap — a hat
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. scale — for weighing

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