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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rule — a law
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. firm — decided
  6. band — a ring
  7. scale — size or range
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. rule — government
  11. band — a music group
  12. firm — a company
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pit — a hole
  16. firm — steady
  17. chest — of your body
  18. scale — in music
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. chest — a box
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pit — in a race
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. fine — all right

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