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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rule — a law
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. chest — a box
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. degree — an amount
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. rule — government
  16. degree — temperature
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. chest — of your body
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. degree — from a university

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