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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. mug — a face
  6. present — a gift
  7. last — final
  8. last — to go on
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mark — a grade
  13. fine — high quality
  14. rule — a law
  15. mug — to rob
  16. scale — size or range
  17. mark — a trace
  18. present — there
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. fine — all right
  22. present — the time now
  23. last — finally
  24. mug — a cup

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