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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bore — to tire
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. branch — a division
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. degree — from a university
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rule — government
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. rule — a law
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bore — to drill
  24. degree — an amount

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