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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. rule — a law
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bark — to shout
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. band — a music group
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. charge — a price
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rash — a series
  16. band — a ring
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — a trail
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — in control
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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