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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. degree — temperature
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a line of people
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — an amount
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rule — a law
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rule — government
  20. scale — size or range
  21. file — a tool
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. leaves — to go away

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