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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. scale — in music
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. fork — in a road
  13. rule — government
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. charge — in control
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rash — hasty
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rule — a law
  24. rash — a series

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