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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: rest · cabinet · fork · spell · rule · cell · march · scale

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rule — government
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. march — the month
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. scale — in music
  8. rule — a law
  9. rest — what's left
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. march — music
  12. spell — magic
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. spell — letters
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. spell — a short time
  17. scale — size or range
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. rest — a break
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cell — a phone
  22. march — the month
  23. cell — in biology
  24. rule — to rule out

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