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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bank — for money
  8. can — a tin
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. roll — a list
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — a law
  16. scale — size or range
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. can — to be able to
  19. roll — a cake
  20. can — a tin
  21. bank — for money
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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