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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: scale · mug · rule · tube · chip · ruler · bay · cabinet

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. mug — to rob
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. scale — in music
  8. chip — for betting
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. chip — to eat
  14. mug — a face
  15. rule — government
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mug — a cup
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. tube — a container
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rule — a law
  24. chip — in a computer

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