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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bulb — for light
  3. kid — child
  4. bulb — for light
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. land — ground
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rule — government
  10. staff — a stick
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. kid — to tease
  15. staff — employees
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. land — to come down
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rule — a law
  21. race — humankind
  22. land — a country
  23. racket — for tennis
  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