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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rule — government
  5. bulb — for light
  6. roll — a list
  7. bound — obliged
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. court — for sport
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. court — of law
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rule — a law
  16. bound — certain
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. court — of a king
  23. scale — in music
  24. bulb — of a plant

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