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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 116 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. content — the amount
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. rest — what's left
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rest — a break
  10. rule — a law
  11. fork — in a road
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cue — a hint
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. rule — government
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pass — a permit
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. scale — size or range
  21. content — happy
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rule — to rule out

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