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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. cue — a signal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rule — a law
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. season — in sport
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. stock — shares
  12. season — of the year
  13. cue — for pool
  14. stock — goods
  15. rule — government
  16. land — ground
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. land — to come down
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. land — a country
  23. object — to protest
  24. cue — a hint

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