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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. object — to protest
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. current — electric
  5. bat — the animal
  6. rule — government
  7. drill — army training
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. drill — a practice
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. object — a thing
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. rule — a law
  18. object — an aim
  19. toast — bread
  20. track — a path
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. drill — the tool

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