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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — a law
  8. stand — to bear
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rest — what's left
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. foot — a measure
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rest — a break
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. jam — in traffic

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