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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. spring — the season
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. board — to get on
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — a law
  7. charge — in control
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. charge — a price
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. ball — a dance
  15. spring — of water
  16. charge — electricity
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. board — a committee
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ball — a great time
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. spring — a coil
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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