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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. present — there
  5. bat — the animal
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. present — a gift
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. club — a group
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rule — government
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rule — a law
  16. club — for dancing
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. present — the time now
  19. staff — employees
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. club — for golf
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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