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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 116 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. ball — a great time
  5. kid — child
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. land — to come down
  8. rock — music
  9. land — a country
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. kid — to tease
  13. land — ground
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rock — a stone
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rule — a law
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cell — a phone
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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