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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pop — to visit
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pop — music
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rule — a law
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mine — for digging
  16. pop — soda
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. fine — high quality
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. rule — government
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fine — all right
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rule — to rule out

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