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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. rule — a law
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wound — an injury
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. rule — government
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. scale — size or range
  11. track — a path
  12. court — of a king
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. wound — an injury
  15. track — to keep track
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. court — of law
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. court — for sport
  20. track — a song
  21. chair — a leader
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — shares

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