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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. object — to protest
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. land — a country
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. object — an aim
  7. key — the most important part
  8. court — of law
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. key — in music
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. court — for sport
  14. key — for a lock
  15. court — of a king
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. land — ground
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — a law
  20. object — a thing
  21. land — to come down
  22. stem — to come from
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. racket — for tennis

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