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

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. snap — to click
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — government
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — a country
  12. track — a song
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. land — ground
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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