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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 116 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rule — government
  6. march — music
  7. firm — decided
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cold — not warm
  11. kick — in football
  12. scale — in music
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. march — the month
  17. firm — steady
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bark — to shout
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rule — a law
  22. firm — a company
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. stem — to come from

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