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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. court — of a king
  6. can — a tin
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. court — for sport
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. tube — the underground
  12. court — of law
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rule — a law
  15. can — to be able to
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. tube — a container
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — low music
  20. can — a tin
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rule — government
  24. tube — in a tire

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