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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. roll — a list
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. march — music
  7. rule — a law
  8. rush — hurry
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. swing — to play on
  13. roll — a cake
  14. rule — government
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. swing — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. rock — music
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. swing — in golf

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