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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bat — the animal
  5. club — a group
  6. firm — decided
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. firm — a company
  10. tube — the underground
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. club — for golf
  15. tube — a container
  16. current — of water
  17. scale — size or range
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. firm — steady
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — a law

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