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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bulb — for light
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bulb — for light
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. rash — a series
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — government
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rash — hasty
  15. land — ground
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. key — in music
  18. land — a country
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. land — to come down

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