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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: band · rule · scale · pit · season · march · rush · chair

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. rule — government
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. march — the month
  6. band — a music group
  7. march — the month
  8. chair — a leader
  9. band — a ring
  10. pit — a hole
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. scale — size or range
  15. season — in sport
  16. march — music
  17. season — of the year
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. scale — in music
  20. rush — hurry
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pit — in a race

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