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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 120 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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — a phone
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rule — government
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. suit — clothes
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. suit — to fit
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stock — shares
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. capital — a city
  16. rule — a law
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. suit — in cards
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stock — goods
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. capital — money

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