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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. track — a path
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — government
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. track — to keep track
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a face
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mug — a cup
  17. capital — a city
  18. scale — in music
  19. craft — a skill
  20. scale — size or range
  21. capital — money
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. craft — boats
  24. track — a song

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