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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. craft — boats
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mark — a trace
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. craft — a skill
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rule — a law
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rule — government
  18. can — a tin
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. can — a tin
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. mark — a grade

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