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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. scale — in music
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. staff — employees
  6. pitch — completely
  7. staff — a stick
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. staff — employees
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rule — government
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pit — a hole
  20. scale — size or range
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rule — a law
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. hide — to keep secret

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