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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. drill — the tool
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. scale — size or range
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. rash — a series
  9. drill — army training
  10. rash — hasty
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. club — a group
  14. rule — a law
  15. club — for dancing
  16. rule — government
  17. rest — what's left
  18. hand — help
  19. club — for golf
  20. scale — in music
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. drill — a practice

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