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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 120 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. scale — in music
  3. club — a group
  4. rule — a law
  5. bank — for money
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rule — government
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bank — for money
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. squash — to crush
  15. march — music
  16. board — a committee
  17. march — the month
  18. bank — of a river
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. march — the month
  21. club — for golf
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. club — for dancing

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