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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rule — government
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rule — a law
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. club — a group
  10. rock — music
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rock — a stone
  14. lie — to recline
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. sharp — clever
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. scale — in music
  21. club — for dancing
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. club — for golf

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