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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. lean — thin
  3. club — a group
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. rule — government
  6. field — for sport
  7. pit — a hole
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — a law
  10. scale — in music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lean — to bend
  18. field — farmland
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. scale — size or range
  22. field — a subject
  23. pit — in a race
  24. club — for golf

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