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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. branch — a division
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. staff — employees
  6. drill — a practice
  7. club — for dancing
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. club — for golf
  10. tube — a container
  11. degree — from a university
  12. staff — a stick
  13. scale — in music
  14. degree — an amount
  15. drill — the tool
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. staff — employees
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. degree — temperature
  21. club — a group
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — a law
  24. drill — army training

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