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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. scale — in music
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. track — a song
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. cue — a signal
  12. track — a path
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rule — government
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cue — a hint
  19. field — a subject
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — size or range
  24. track — to keep track

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