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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. cue — a signal
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. rule — government
  5. toast — bread
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. season — in sport
  12. scale — in music
  13. roll — a cake
  14. rule — a law
  15. key — for a lock
  16. race — humankind
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. season — of the year
  19. cue — a hint
  20. race — a contest
  21. cue — for pool
  22. race — the arms race
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. scale — size or range

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