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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 120 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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. race — the arms race
  4. land — ground
  5. net — for catching
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. land — a country
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. land — to come down
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. scale — in music
  15. rule — government
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rule — a law
  18. race — humankind
  19. net — after costs
  20. snap — to click
  21. net — in sport
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. race — a contest
  24. calf — a young animal

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