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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. rule — government
  3. scale — in music
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — a law
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bank — for money
  10. date — the fruit
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bank — for money
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bank — of a river
  21. branch — a division
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. chip — for betting

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