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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 120 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fine — all right
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mark — a grade
  5. land — a country
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rest — a break
  8. rule — a law
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bound — certain
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rule — government
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rest — what's left
  16. land — ground
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bound — obliged
  21. land — to come down
  22. fine — high quality
  23. chair — a leader
  24. fine — a penalty

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