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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. band — a music group
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. fine — all right
  8. scale — size or range
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rule — government
  13. fine — high quality
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. root — of a word
  18. rash — hasty
  19. root — the cause
  20. band — a ring
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rash — a series
  24. root — of a plant

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