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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. scale — in music
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. rule — a law
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rule — government
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. deal — to handle
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. stem — a stem cell

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