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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. rule — a law
  3. toast — bread
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. rock — a stone
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. scale — in music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — government
  14. rock — music
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chair — a leader
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. branch — a division

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