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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — boats
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. fine — all right
  10. file — a document
  11. rule — a law
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. fine — high quality
  15. file — a tool
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rule — government
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. file — a line of people
  22. craft — a skill
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a hole

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