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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 116 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cap — a lid
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. kid — child
  10. cap — a hat
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rule — a law
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. kid — to tease
  15. rule — government
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cap — of ice
  24. mine — for digging

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