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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mug — a cup
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fine — all right
  5. object — a thing
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mug — to rob
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. object — to protest
  11. drill — army training
  12. mug — a face
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. object — an aim
  15. root — of a word
  16. drill — a practice
  17. root — the cause
  18. drill — the tool
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rule — a law
  21. fine — high quality
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rule — government
  24. root — of a plant

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