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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. rule — a law
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. hand — help
  9. cap — a lid
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. ground — a position
  12. can — a tin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cap — of ice
  17. can — to be able to
  18. cap — a hat
  19. hand — in cards
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lean — to bend
  22. can — a tin
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rule — government

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