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

Word bank: club · pass · racket · scale · firm · arm · date · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. club — for dancing
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. scale — in music
  7. club — for golf
  8. scale — size or range
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rule — a law
  11. pass — a permit
  12. club — a group
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — steady
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. firm — decided
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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