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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rock — music
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. rock — a stone
  10. row — to paddle
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. row — a line
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. rule — a law
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. net — for catching
  18. racket — for tennis

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