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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. rule — government
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. track — a path
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rule — a law
  22. track — a song
  23. scale — in music
  24. fan — a supporter

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