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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rule — a law
  13. key — in music
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. deal — to handle
  16. pitch — completely
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cell — in biology
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cell — a phone
  22. rule — government
  23. key — the most important part
  24. dip — to sink

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