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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. rule — a law
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ball — a great time
  5. season — in sport
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bank — for money
  8. season — of the year
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bank — for money
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. ground — a position
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bank — of a river
  22. ball — a dance
  23. stem — of a plant
  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