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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 124 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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. object — an aim
  6. rule — government
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bore — to drill
  9. squash — to crush
  10. date — the fruit
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. object — to protest
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rule — a law
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. object — a thing
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. land — a country
  21. bass — low music
  22. bore — to tire
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. date — on the calendar

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