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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cold — not warm
  3. content — happy
  4. bank — for money
  5. content — the amount
  6. cold — an illness
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. rule — government
  9. roll — a list
  10. scale — size or range
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. scale — in music
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. season — of the year
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rule — a law
  19. pass — a permit
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. bank — for money
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. roll — a cake

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