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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. march — music
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. field — for sport
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rule — a law
  11. key — in music
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. march — the month
  14. field — farmland
  15. fine — all right
  16. march — the month
  17. field — a subject
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rule — government
  20. key — the most important part
  21. fine — high quality
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — in 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