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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fine — all right
  6. lean — thin
  7. rule — government
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. charge — electricity
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pit — in a race
  18. squash — to crush
  19. fine — high quality
  20. vault — a safe
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rule — a law
  23. pit — a hole
  24. rule — to rule out

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