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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. spring — the season
  6. scale — in music
  7. rule — government
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. spring — of water
  10. march — the month
  11. staff — a stick
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. object — to protest
  14. staff — employees
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. object — an aim
  19. staff — employees
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. spring — a coil
  23. object — a thing
  24. rule — a law

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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