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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: scale · rule · tube · pop · mouse · lie · march · can

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. scale — in music
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. march — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pop — to visit
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. scale — size or range
  14. march — the month
  15. rule — a law
  16. pop — music
  17. march — the month
  18. tube — a container
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. lie — to recline
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. mouse — for 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