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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 120 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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. staff — employees
  5. march — the month
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. scale — size or range
  8. march — the month
  9. kick — in football
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. land — a country
  12. march — music
  13. land — ground
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. game — wild animals
  16. staff — a stick
  17. land — to come down
  18. game — a match
  19. rule — a law
  20. staff — employees
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. rule — government
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. scale — for weighing

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