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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 120 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. march — the month
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. tear — to rip
  9. rash — a series
  10. rule — a law
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pit — a hole
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. march — music
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pit — in a race
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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