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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. tube — the underground
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bass — the fish
  11. tube — a container
  12. wake — a trail
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rule — a law
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — government
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bass — low music

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