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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rule — a law
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. march — music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rule — government
  10. march — the month
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. object — an aim
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. object — to protest
  15. cue — for pool
  16. march — the month
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. object — a thing
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cue — a hint

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