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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 116 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rule — government
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cue — a signal
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. drill — army training
  10. ground — crushed
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. cue — a hint
  15. ground — a position
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mine — for digging
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rule — a law
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. kick — in football
  23. drill — the tool
  24. cue — for pool

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