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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. scale — in music
  3. rule — a law
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. band — a ring
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. band — a music group
  10. game — a match
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. game — wild animals
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rock — a stone
  18. lie — to recline
  19. scale — size or range
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — to rule out

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