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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. suit — clothes
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. suit — in cards
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. squash — to crush
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rule — government
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. sharp — clever
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. pass — a permit
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. suit — to fit
  18. snap — to click
  19. squash — the sport
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. sharp — with an edge

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