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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rash — hasty
  3. plane — a tool
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rule — government
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. rule — a law
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. rash — a series
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. degree — an amount
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. press — a publisher
  18. degree — from a university
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. degree — temperature
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

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