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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. race — a contest
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. scale — in music
  5. bank — for money
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fine — all right
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. cue — a signal
  19. race — humankind
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fine — high quality
  22. race — the arms race
  23. cue — for pool
  24. scale — size or range

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