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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · rule · cell · scale · rock · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. mate — to breed
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. scale — in music
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rule — a law
  11. cell — in biology
  12. scale — size or range
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. rock — a stone
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mate — a friend
  17. cell — a phone
  18. mate — a partner

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