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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mug — a face
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. race — a contest
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. craft — a skill
  7. mug — a cup
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. craft — boats
  11. net — after costs
  12. current — happening now
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — humankind
  15. net — for catching
  16. ball — a great time
  17. net — in sport
  18. mug — to rob
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. ball — a dance

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