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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: rule · bay · rush · rock · cabinet · march · scale · rash

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. march — the month
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rash — a series
  14. rule — a law
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rule — government
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rock — music
  21. march — the month
  22. rush — hurry
  23. scale — size or range
  24. rash — on the skin

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