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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. swing — music
  4. charge — a price
  5. scale — size or range
  6. race — humankind
  7. rest — what's left
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rule — government
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. swing — to play on
  12. rest — a break
  13. charge — in control
  14. race — a contest
  15. kick — in football
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. race — the arms race
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bat — the animal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. scale — in music
  23. charge — electricity
  24. swing — in golf

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