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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  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. rule — to rule out
  2. march — the month
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cue — a hint
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. rule — a law
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cue — for pool
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. cue — a signal
  13. net — after costs
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. march — music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. march — the month
  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