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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — wild animals
  5. rule — a law
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wake — a trail
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rule — government
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pop — music
  15. game — a match
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pop — soda
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pop — to visit
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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