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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. can — to be able to
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. file — a line of people
  6. drill — the tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. can — a tin
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rule — a law
  12. content — happy
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. file — a tool
  15. content — the amount
  16. can — a tin
  17. file — a document
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rule — government
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. drill — army training
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. drill — a practice

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