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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. mug — a face
  3. wind — moving air
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. last — finally
  8. game — wild animals
  9. mug — to rob
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mug — a cup
  13. last — final
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. last — to go on
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. rule — government
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — a match
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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