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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. staff — a stick
  6. cap — of ice
  7. staff — employees
  8. rule — government
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. net — after costs
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rule — a law
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. staff — employees

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