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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ball — a dance
  4. fall — to drop
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. march — the month
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. ball — a great time
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. rule — a law
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. dip — to sink
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fall — to drop
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rule — government

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