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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bulb — for light
  3. tube — a container
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rule — government
  6. field — a subject
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. scale — size or range
  9. rule — a law
  10. field — farmland
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. press — newspapers
  14. tube — the underground
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bulb — for light
  20. key — the most important part
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. field — for sport

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