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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. band — a ring
  6. ball — a great time
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bound — certain
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rule — government
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bound — obliged
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. deal — to handle
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. band — a music group
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rule — a law
  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