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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rock — music
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. last — to go on
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. track — to keep track
  12. last — final
  13. rule — a law
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pitch — completely
  16. game — wild animals
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. track — a song
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. track — a path
  21. game — a match
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. last — finally
  24. rule — government

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