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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 120 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: pass · swing · wind · scale · chair · cue · trunk · rule

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. cue — for pool
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rule — government
  9. swing — to play on
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. swing — in golf
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. wind — moving air
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a leader
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rule — a law
  21. swing — music
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. trunk — of a tree

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