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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 124 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rule — government
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. staff — employees
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. race — a contest
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. stand — to bear
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. row — to paddle
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rule — a law
  15. race — humankind
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. race — the arms race
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. row — a line
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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