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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. rest — what's left
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rule — a law
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rush — hurry
  10. game — a match
  11. rest — a break
  12. scale — size or range
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. current — happening now
  15. game — wild animals
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. scale — in music
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. rest — what's left
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. rush — to hurry
  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