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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rule — government
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bat — the animal
  5. suit — in cards
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. drill — army training
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. drill — the tool
  14. scale — size or range
  15. cap — a hat
  16. suit — to fit
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. suit — clothes
  19. scale — in music
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. rule — a law
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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