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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rule — government
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bass — the fish
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rule — a law
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — low music
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. fine — high quality
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wave — with your hand

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