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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. rule — a law
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. kid — child
  8. degree — from a university
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. degree — an amount
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — bread
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. degree — temperature
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. lie — to recline
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. kid — to tease

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