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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 120 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rule — a law
  3. rock — music
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rock — a stone
  7. fine — high quality
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — child
  12. bank — for money
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. fork — in a road
  24. rule — government

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