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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rule — a law
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. ball — a great time
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ball — a dance
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rule — government
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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