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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rule — government
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. scale — in music
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. land — a country
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pitch — completely
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. land — to come down
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — a law
  18. pop — soda
  19. scale — size or range
  20. land — ground
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. spring — of water
  24. racket — for tennis

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