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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. rule — government
  4. key — the most important part
  5. last — finally
  6. rule — a law
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. spell — letters
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pop — music
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pop — to visit
  14. spell — a short time
  15. stock — goods
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. stock — shares
  18. scale — in music
  19. spell — magic
  20. last — final
  21. pop — soda
  22. last — to go on
  23. key — for a lock
  24. sharp — clever

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