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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bat — the animal
  3. net — for catching
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rule — government
  6. key — for a lock
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. key — the most important part
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. scale — size or range
  16. net — in sport
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. key — in music
  23. net — after costs
  24. bat — for baseball

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