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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 124 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. rule — a law
  3. scale — in music
  4. tear — to rip
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. stock — goods
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. club — for golf
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. club — for dancing
  16. rule — government
  17. stock — shares
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. tear — from crying
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. club — a group
  22. scale — size or range
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pound — a weight

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