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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. march — music
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. march — the month
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rule — government
  14. season — of the year
  15. stem — to come from
  16. deal — to handle
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pitch — completely
  19. scale — in music
  20. rule — a law
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. march — the month
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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